Wild weather affects harvest

Wild and wooly weather has been keeping farmers and everyone else off balance this summer. Some summers, most of them actually, mean high temperatures of 90 degrees or more every day and absolutely no rain until September (okay, maybe one mid-summer thunderstorm). But the weather pattern has been very different this year, and many farmers are nervous.

Rains in early June can mean an extra good wheat crop, with full kernels of good quality. But it can often also mean having to spray additional fungicide on wheat stands to prevent stripe rust or some other fungal agent. Rains in July can certainly delay the wheat harvest or lead to other problems like sprouting of the kernels or weakening of the stalks.

Even though the rains have been hit-or-miss rather than blanketing the area, concern has been growing that more of the same could have serious adverse effects on the crops. Several area farmers have said they were close to getting started with their wheat harvest, but the rains have postponed the start date until at least next week. Too much moisture makes the stalks tough and prevents them from breaking off cleanly at the combine header. The result can be a lot of wheat on the ground or a plugged combine.

Mark Cronrath of the Odessa Trading Company says that from a visual standpoint, the wheat crop looks very good this year. Farmers who are nevertheless worried about sprouting or other such problems are being advised to go out into their fields and crush some of the heads so they can inspect the kernels.

Another possible hazard to the wheat crop and others is frost damage in the draws of some fields. Cronrath said that wheat farmers had reported such damage, but until harvest begins they won’t really know how bad it is or how much it will affect overall yields.

The Odessa area is only recently becoming known as a canola-growing area. Several farmers have now added canola to their crop rotations. Some canola had already been harvested when the latest rains hit. Some had been swathed but not yet picked up, so there has been a delay while the plants on the ground dry out again.

Heavy rain on a cut crop of hay is a disaster, and for many hay farmers in the area, both the first and second cuttings of hay have been all but destroyed for several hay farmers.

We will keep you posted on the area harvest as the situation develops. More next week.