While it is almost 2 weeks behind normal, the Indiana wheat harvest is underway according to DuPont Pioneer agronomist Darren Goebel who is based in Evansville. He said early yield results are very good, “We have guys cutting wheat in Posey, Gibson, and Vanderburgh Counties and all along the Ohio river to Louisville.” While heavy rains Wednesday night may slow progress in the SW, Goebel says early yield results are very good, “We are seeing yields up to 120bpa with a lot of fields averaging around that 100 bpa mark.”
Goebel attributes the good yields to the cool spring weather, “We have been tracking cooler than normal, and I think that cooler weather has really helped the wheat crop.” The good yields and harvest activity have been reported outside of SW Indiana. Ryan Piel, DuPont Pioneer agronomist in Western Indiana, says wheat fields as far north as Montgomery county are being harvested with good results.
While the cool weather was a benefit, the excessive moisture has caused some serious disease pressure. “The conditions were ideal for the development of scab,” said Goebel. He added that Pioneer varieties that normally tolerate scab well were having problems this year. Even where fungicides were applied, if the timing was not just right, the scab developed. The delay in harvest, caused by the frequent rain after the crop was mature, led to some quality loss.
Even though the harvest is 2 weeks behind normal, Goebel does not see any problems with getting in double crop soybeans behind the wheat in southern counties, “We have enough moisture that these soybeans will get going fast.” Goebel admits, however, that counties further north may have problems, “You get up around the I-70 corridor and planting soybeans in mid-July will present some challenges.”
Listen to the complete report with Darren Goebel in the agronomy section of this web site and the audio section of our app for Smaratphone and tablets.