On the stalk, much of the region’s wheat crop looks good. But it is only until you go out and get a closer look that the full story of this year’s crop comes out.
Several groups of Extension educators, growers and wheat buyers took to the fields June 5 in Pennsylvania, Maryland and Delaware to get an early look at how the region’s wheat crop is faring.
On a tour that visited several farms in Berks, Lancaster and Lebanon counties, groups scoured fields with papers, pencils and yardsticks to see how the crop was progressing. They counted number of plants per foot, heads per foot, spikelets per head and kernels per head.
The good news: Fusarium head blight (scab), the most severe disease of wheat, was almost nonexistent. In fact, overall disease and insect pressure was minimal.
The bad news: Drought is likely taking its toll as grain fill continues.
Del Voight, educator with Penn State Cooperative Extension, says the average yield was 105 bushels per acre, down significantly from last year’s impressive 129-bushel-per-acre average.
“So, that means fewer kernels per acre and then the size due to drought,” he says. “Looks like the overall height is shorter than previous years, about 10 inches or so. Straw yield will likely suffer as well. Once the combines get going next week or so on barley, we will truly begin to see the story develop.”
Daniela Carrijo, Extension specialist of grain crop production at Penn State, says the yield estimate formula used for the tour assumes a fixed grain size, but it is a yield component that can be greatly affected by drought.
“Therefore, our yield estimates are likely an overestimate,” she says.
Heidi Reed, Extension educator with Penn State, led a group through six locations in York and Adams counties.
“Very little to no disease present,” she says. “We noticed some leaf rust and evidence of early-season powdery mildew, but not enough to worry about. Evidence of some very light cereal leaf beetle feeding damage earlier in the season. But scab was not an issue. Not surprised with the dry weather.”
Source: farmprogress.com
Photo Credit: gettyimages-zhuda
Categories: Pennsylvania, Crops, Wheat, Harvesting