U.S. winter wheat harvest behind schedule

Jun 19, 2019

Growers have only harvested 8 percent of the national crop, the USDA says

By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com

The 2019 U.S. winter wheat harvest is off to a slow start.

American farmers have only harvested 8 percent of national winter wheat acres, the USDA’s Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin for June 18 said. That figure it down from 25 percent harvested last year at this time.

Farmers in all the key winter wheat states are behind.

Growers in Illinois, for example, have only harvested 6 percent of the state’s winter wheat crop. That number is down from 26 percent last year.

Soggy fields are the main reason why combines are sitting idle. And those conditions could affect the grain after harvest, said Mike Doherty, executive director of the Illinois Wheat Association.

“Crops have been subject to a lot of rain and saturated soils, so farmers haven’t been able to do much,” he told Farms.com. “Farmers only need one or two dry days to harvest the crop. But the concern is over how wet the wheat is because farmers might have to pay for commercial storage and drying, which could affect their bottom lines.”

Other crops are behind in development.

About 55 percent of U.S. soybeans are emerged, the USDA said. That figure is down from 89 percent last year.

Soybeans in Louisiana are 94 percent emerged, which is the highest in the U.S. That statistic is only down 5 percent from last year.

Soybeans in Ohio are only 29 percent emerged, which represents the lowest progress in the country. That number is down from 87 percent last year.

Like soybeans, corn emergence is lagging behind last year’s progress.

National corn emergence stands at 79 percent, the USDA said. That number is down from 97 percent last year.

Only North Carolina’s corn is completely emerged. Michigan’s corn is 48 percent emerged, which is the lowest of the 18 documented states. That number is also down from 86 percent last year.

Farms.com has reached out to corn and soybean growers for updates on crop emergence and condition.

Video: Dicamba Returns for Georgia Farmers: What the New EPA Ruling Means for Cotton Growers

After being unavailable in 2024 due to registration issues, dicamba products are returning for Georgia farmers this growing season — but under strict new conditions.

In this report from Tifton, Extension Weed Specialist Stanley Culpepper explains the updated EPA ruling, including new application limits, mandatory training requirements, and the need for a restricted use pesticide license. Among the key changes: a cap of two ½-pound applications per year and the required use of an approved volatility reduction agent with every application.

For Georgia cotton producers, the ruling is significant. According to Taylor Sills with the Georgia Cotton Commission, the vast majority of cotton planted in the state carries the dicamba-tolerant trait — meaning farmers had been paying for technology they couldn’t use.

While environmental groups have expressed concerns over spray drift, Georgia growers have reduced off-target pesticide movement by more than 91% over the past decade. Still, this two-year registration period will come with increased scrutiny, making stewardship and compliance more important than ever.