Agricultural News
Rain in the Near Future Could Make or Break Oklahoma's Wheat Crop as Farmers Anticipate Harvest
Thu, 23 Mar 2017 17:44:05 CDT
For wheat producers in Oklahoma, there could always stand to be a little more moisture ahead of harvest. That is still the case today says Mike Schulte of the Oklahoma Wheat Commission. But while the situation is by no means dire at this point, Schulte contends that without some rain soon, the US Department of Agriculture's rating of the crop as 'fair to good" could be expected to slide.
"As we have gotten towards the end of March, we really are at a crossroads with the crop as we move forward," he said. "I think there probably has been some damage done based on the warmer temperatures and the drought conditions we've seen in the state over the past two to three weeks."
However, Schulte says if farmers get some moisture over the next week, it would certainly help the crop.
"If we could get some moisture, no doubt, in the next four or five days, I think it could really, really help us. And I think since it is a resilient plant, the potential still would be favorable for a decent crop," Schulte said. "If we don't get the moisture and we end up in a drought situation, like we did in 2014, we could have not a good year for Oklahoma and other regions of the Great Plains."
In addition to his conversation with Radio Oklahoma Ag Network Farm Director Ron Hays, Schulte also touched on a report that revealed six of the top ten wheat varieties planted by farmers this year, came from Oklahoma State University and the Wheat Improvement Team. Click here to read a previously published story regarding this report.
Schulte 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. In the meantime, you can listen to Hays and Schulte speak off-camera about Oklahoma's wheat crop condition and expectations for next year's crop, by clicking or tapping the LISTEN BAR below.
WebReadyTM Powered by WireReady® NSI
Top Agricultural News
More Headlines...