It was the best of times and the worst of times; it just depends if you are in southern Indiana or further north. JR Roesner in Spencer County says his wheat harvest went fine, “We finished our wheat harvest about a week ago. The rains in this area have been spotty, so delays have not been much of an issue for us.” Roesner told HAT, however, that to the north and west of his area there have been significant delays caused by rain.
As for yields, Roesner was very pleased, “We have record yields averaging 90 bpa. The quality and test weight was also very good.” But not all farmers in the area were so lucky. Roesner spoke of a friend who just finished his harvest this week, “He had significant rain delays and lost about a pound of test weight per day with the delays.” High winds also lodged many wheat fields causing big harvest problems. Purdue reports that growers who were able to harvest their wheat early fared better. “The wheat that’s been cut looks really good,” said Shaun Casteel, Purdue Extension wheat specialist. But as rains continue harvest delays are hurting yield and quality, “Some fields are starting to experience preharvest losses due to the heavy rains and wind. In other words, seed is knocked out of the grain head and some plants are driven to the ground.”
Jim Riley in Brookston IN says the wheat crop in his area is in big trouble, “None of the wheat around here has been harvested.” Riley said farmers who had planned on a crop of soybeans after the wheat crops will now not likely plant that crop because it is so late. Roesner said that his double crop soybeans have been planted for about a week and that, with the abundant soil moisture, the crop has emerged and is off to a good start.
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