Wheat Harvest Begins

For the most part, winter wheat is looking good here in the state. Early extended cool temperatures and wet conditions have pushed harvest back later than normal for parts of central Washington, but some producers had started harvesting as of July 15. Chad Denny, a wheat grower near Fairfield, talks about how things are shaping up in that area and when they might begin harvesting there.

DENNY: Typically we are towards the middle of August for our winter wheat crop. Our spring wheat is just a week to ten days later than that usually, maybe two weeks. That’s in this part of the world. As you go down towards the river more they’re starting. So it’s quite a diverse climate we have here in not very much distance.

That cool wet weather has taken it’s toll though on some of the crop.

DENNY: My winter wheat at Washington is I’d say is very good right now. My wheat here in Idaho I think is going to be average, maybe a little above. It doesn’t look as good. The excessive moisture is hard over here on some of this ground. It can really hurt you. It sits there with “wet feet” and doesn’t produce as well sometimes.

Denny says the extra moisture has proved beneficial for his spring wheat.

DENNY: The spring wheat, all in all, I’m really pleased at the moment. I think it looks very good.

Has stripe rust been an issue at all this year?

DENNY: Yeah, I put on fungicide at herbicide timing and then had been watching it pretty close, and when it broke, it broke in a big way on my winter wheat, and we got the clean up pretty quick and got it under control. I don’t think it’s going to hurt us yield wise.

I’m Lacy Gray and that’s Washington Ag Today on the Northwest Ag Information Network.