Area farmers could lose up to 90% of winter wheat crop

Jul 23, 2019

One of the few Ottawa County farmers harvesting wheat last week, Laubacher needed to make it to the opposite side of the tracks on Benton Carroll Road before the train arrived.

He had to talk to his friend, Lynn Apling, a retiree who helps with his harvest.

Ottawa County wheat farmers face massive losses after wet, cool spring

Daniel Carson, The News-Messenger

Time is precious this year for county farmers who were able to plant and are battling the elements to get their crops out of the ground.

Trains periodically zipped past the field on adjacent tracks, as threatening clouds and an increasing chance of rain pushed Laubacher to finish fast.

"I could lose it if I don't get it done," Laubacher said last week, as he noted ominous clouds perched overhead and a likelihood of afternoon thunderstorms.

Heavy rains and saturated fields this spring caused significant pain, with some farmers unable to plant at all and others, like Laubacher, struggling to work around delayed planting schedules and tight harvesting windows.

Winter wheat losses could range from 80 to 90% for Ottawa County farmers, said Mike Libben, administrator of the Ottawa Soil and Water Conservation District.

Libben also farms wheat.

He lost half of his wheat crop this winter, with one field succumbing to this year's disastrous weather.

Click here to see more...

Video: predictive weed Management saves on herbicide costs and increases yield potential

Gowan Canada is partnering with Geco Strategic Weed Management to help Canadian growers take a strategic approach to weed control through data-driven prediction and planning.

Geco’s technology uses data and AI to map where weeds have been over the past five years and predict where patches are likely to emerge next season. These insights allow farms and retailers to plan ahead and target actions in the most challenging areas.

“Our technology enables the question: if you could know where your most problematic patches are and where they are spreading to, what could you do differently? That’s what our technology makes possible,” said Greg Stewart, CEO of Geco. “Many of our farms are already using our prescriptions along with Gowan products, so this collaboration is a natural next step.”