Winter wheat is looking good across Indiana, especially if you compare it to the rest of the country.
“Wheat this year has been ahead of schedule,” explains Purdue Extension Small Grains Specialist Shaun Casteel. “We have had some warmer temperatures… I’d say we’re probably a good seven to 10 days ahead of a normal pace with heading and flowering.”
Casteel made those comments on the latest Purdue Crop Chat from Hoosier Ag Today.
In Tuesday’s USDA Crop Progress Report, Indiana winter wheat is rated 73% good to excellent.
But it all comes back to Casteel’s beloved soybeans. With that advanced pace, he thinks this year brings a great opportunity.
“Southern areas are already going to do double crop, and the central is kind of that in between. So, there are some good opportunities if harvest stays on that same kind of track of a week to 10 days earlier. That makes a huge difference on making a double crop.”
Casteel offers this advice for wheat growers in Northern Indiana.
“I think that there has been some risk out there for head scab, so there have been some applications during flowering. And so just kind of be mindful of that if you’re not familiar. There are some tools out there that you can search up for head scab, the risk of Fusarium. And so, I think about those that are flowering now in the north, whether there’s a need for that or not.
“… Overall, it looks pretty good. I think there are some areas that were a little wet, and so those spots are always going to be a bit weak.”
Nationally, winter wheat is rated 26% good to excellent and 44% poor to very poor as top producing states in the Plains struggle with dry conditions.
The winter wheat market has carved out a distinct premium over last year’s values. In the latest WASDE report, USDA projected a significant multi-year high for the season-average farm price, up to $6.50 a bushel, $1.50 higher than the 25/26 marketing year average.
Hear more about wheat but also corn and soybean progress in the Purdue Crop Chat! Watch on HAT’s Facebook or YouTube channel or listen wherever you download your favorite podcasts.
