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A variable winter wheat crop so far

USDA says almost half of the U.S. winter wheat crop is in good to excellent condition as the crop emerges ahead of dormancy, the first time since 2019.

In South Dakota, Wheat Commission Executive Director Reid Christopherson says many farmers planted winter wheat earlier than usual to capture moisture for a good stand and it’s paid off so far.

“There will certainly be some variation moving from area to area, but I haven’t heard any reports of early disease issues. There’s always the potential with very early planting of wheat streak mosaic virus or other things moving in.”

In Kansas, Wheat Commission CEO Justin Gilpin says winter wheat conditions vary, but many areas are still dealing with drought.

“Drought conditions in the central corridor really slowed winter wheat planting and emergence. There’s pockets in the north-central part of the state that missed out on the rains going into the third to fourth year of drought that we hope to see change.”

Gilpin says the latest crop conditions ratings from USDA are better than last year, but slightly worse than the five-year average. And he says the spring winter wheat emergence and conditions will tell more of a story about the next U.S. crop.