Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
Spring wheat kernels didn't register as good
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Washington spring wheat isn't doing well, according to the July 19 U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Crop Progress report.
The spring wheat condition is the percentage of kernels in Washington deemed "good" or "excellent." They did not register on the chart. "Very poor" spring wheat accounted for 45%, "poor" 43%, and "fair" 12%.
"Looking around the countryside, I'd say that's pretty accurate," said Gary Bailey, a wheat grower west of St. John and board member of the Washington Grain Commission.
For overall topsoil moisture condition statewide, "adequate" conditions are at 2%, "short" at 33%, and "very short" 65%.
Topsoil for Oregon is at 65% "very poor" and in Montana, it's 68% rated as "very poor."
The USDA estimates are compiled from surveys collected weekly from April through November.
Spring wheat is not harvested. Farmers are waiting to follow winter wheat, which is 30% cut in Washington as of the July 18 report. Last year it was 5% on the same date.
With bad conditions for spring wheat, winter wheat is expected to be in better shape.
"Below average by 10-20%," Bailey said. "That's my seat-of-the-pants 'guesstimate.'"
The difference between spring and winter wheat results is attributed to the amount of time in the ground the grain had to obtain water.
"There was a fair amount of moisture in the ground when winter wheat was planted," said Bailey. "For spring, there was moisture when it was planted but it never rained much after that."
Winter wheat is planted in the fall and spring wheat mainly in April.
Garth Meyer is a former Whitman County Gazette reporter.
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