Agricultural News
Okla Wheat Crops in Desperate Need of Moisture as Success of 2017 Harvest Hangs in the Balance
Thu, 12 Jan 2017 16:10:01 CST
It has been an interesting growing season for wheat producers in Oklahoma so far to say the least, with this fall starting out looking very promising. Since then, though, we have seen very little moisture up to this point. Radio Oklahoma Ag Network Farm Director Ron Hays sat down with Mark Hodges of Plains Grains this week for his perspective on our wheat crop's progress so far this year. He says it seems like we may be experiencing a repeat of last year.
"It's almost an instant replay if you go back the last two or three years," Hodges remarked. "We got a really good stand in most cases in the fall and then once we got that stand, we really didn't get any moisture up until either at harvest or right before harvest, which last year really benefited us a lot."
Hodges has observed that wheat planted later this fall, has not had as much growth as he would have liked to see. For wheat planted "on-time," though, there has been a respectable amount of growth seen there. However, he has collected reports from the country that to him suggest that the root systems for this year's crop are not growing deep enough to anchor the plants. If this is true with the dry weather we've experienced so far, he says that does not bode well. And, while it is difficult to distinguish changes in the crop's condition during the winter months, he says it will be imperative for the success of the crop later this year to capture some moisture over the next several weeks.
"It's extremely important," Hodges insisted. "We need it, not only for that moisture to be in the profile when the plant takes off again, but whatever root development we can get between now and when it starts to warm up when the plant really takes off is going to be extremely important."
Listen to Hays entire conversation with Hodges, as they speak more about Oklahoma's current wheat crop condition and the factors playing into the success of this year's harvest, by clicking or tapping on the LISTEN BAR below.
Hodges will join Radio Oklahoma Ag Network Farm Director Ron Hays for his weekly In the Field segment on KWTV News9 in the Oklahoma City area on Saturday morning at 6:40 a.m.
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