So far, so good
Rugby area producers are about two weeks into the small grains harvest, and early indications show the makings of a good wheat crop.
“We have completed a majority of the winter wheat, and we’re starting into the spring wheat now,’ said Scott Johnson, Rugby area farmer. “The test weights have been pretty good for spring wheat, right around that 61 to 63 pound range. Our protein is around 14 percent, and yields are above average.”
Although the wheat crop has taken a bit longer to ripen due to the cooler conditions, that’s OK, Johnson said. “That actually enables the field to fill out better…be more lush.”
Spotty rain showers have slowed harvest a bit in some areas of the county, but not in the Rugby area. “We haven’t experienced any delays,’ said Johnson, who farms east of Rugby. “We’d like to see a shot of rain for the corn and sunflowers.’
North of town, farmer Dan Brossart has reported good yields with his winter wheat, and soon he’ll turn his focus to harvest spring wheat, barley and canola.
The cool, cloudy weather just hasn’t enabled the crops to reach the maturity level necessary before combining. “The fields are looking fine, but we need some more dry, warm weather (before combining),’ Brossart said.
In the past few weeks he’s been able to swath quite a bit and do some pre-harvest spraying.
While the cooler growing season has been good for the small grains, it’s not so good for the row crops, and Johnson and Brossart said farmers will need a frost-free September for the corn to make it.
“If we can get some good growing weather, then I think those crops are going to be decent,’ Brossart said. “We’ll have to wait and see.”