June 15, 2010

Storm affects Oklahoma's wheat harvest

The recent storm in Oklahoma has resulted in wet wheat fields, thereby stalling wheat harvest in the affected regions.

Enid and surrounding areas received between two and four inches of rainfall Sunday (Jun 13) night and Monday (Jun 14) morning but no flooding was reported, according to Mike Honigsberg, Enid and Garfield County Emergency Management director.

"It has halted harvest until we get some sunshine and dries it out," said Scott Price, Grant County Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service agriculture educator.

Monday's weather served only to make field conditions worse following Sunday's storm.

"Right now if there is more rain, not much more is going to soak in," Price said. "It has been cloudy all day so there hasn't been any drying. If there is going to be more rain, we want to get it over with and then get it dried out and continue harvesting."

According to Oklahoma Mesonet, the weather-reporting station in Medford has recorded more than four inches of rain since Sunday.

The wet weather and delay in harvest could lead to crop problems. "Depending on how long the wet spell stays with us, weeds could start to show up in the fields and they have a lot of moisture in them and when we get back in the fields that could be a problem," Price said.

According to Jeff Bedwell, Garfield County Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service agriculture educator, the weather delay in harvesting could aggravate secondary problems the wheat crop had this year.

The delay in harvest also could bring problems for producers planning to plant a second crop, such as soy, following wheat harvest.