Success StoryAssessing Freeze Damage to Wheat



Assessing Freeze Damage to Wheat

Author: Roger "Darrell" Simpson

Planning Unit: Muhlenberg County CES

Major Program: Grain Crops

Plan of Work: Planning for the Family and Farm

Outcome: Initial Outcome

The spring of 2017 appeared to be questionable at best for the winter wheat crop due to two major freeze events. Although there is only about 1200 acres of wheat in the county, producers utilize it for both grain and straw thus increasing the economic importance of the crop. This agent utilized his knowledge  and information from Dr. Carrie Knott, University of Kentucky Grain Crops Specialist to assist producers in ascertaining whether or not the winter wheat crop should be destroyed or additional nitrogen and fungicides applied to increase yields. Bi weekly field visits were utilized for two weeks after the freeze event to determine the level of damage to both the grain and the straw. Three producers and one crop supply provider learned how to select plant stems and then correctly determine the damage level to the plant. The entire wheat acreage was taken to harvest. Two producers informed me that the grain and straw yields were some of the best that they had produced. One producer shared his actual production records  for both grain and straw for the 151 acres he grew. One forty two acre field yielded 90.85 bushels of grain per acre and 68 bales of straw per acre. His lowest yielding  field was five acres which produced 61.67 bushels of grain per acre and 55 bales of straw  per acre. He sold wheat on the spot market from  a low of $4.73 per bushel to a high of $5.29 per bushel. His average yield was 78.08 bushels of grain per acre averaging $5.06 per bushel grossing over $59,000.He commented that he was glad that he did not destroy the crop and that he had never sold wheat into a rising market during harvest. The University of Kentucky College of Food and Environment and Cooperative Extension Service once again provided a valuable service to the clientele of Muhlenberg County.

   






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