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Nebraska’s ag director says his winter wheat harvest is done, other crops could use rain
Southeast Nebraska farmer and Nebraska Director of Agriculture Steve Wellman says he’s wrapped up winter wheat harvest. “It was ok. It was above average I would say, but it could have been better. I think we missed out on having any moisture to speak of over the wintertime. That certainly would’ve helped our wheat production.”
He tells Brownfield his yields averaged 65 bushels-per-acre. “It’s below what we would like to have. It’s probably about average for recent years. We’ve had bigger yields than that, too. Wheat is not one of the major commodities we produce on our farm, but if it’s managed right it can yield much more than what we got this year.”
But, he says, “With the market prices we’ve seen for wheat, it’s worthwhile this year.”
Wellman says Mother Nature has created some challenges for his other crops this growing season. “We’ve had a little bit of hail. We’ve been at least fortunate though to have rain. I know a lot of the state has not had adequate moisture and rainfall. We dealt with hail and had to replant some soybeans.”
He tells Brownfield the weather continues to be a mixed bag. “It looks like the corn is starting to tassel and that’s right on schedule. The soybeans are really slow getting any type of substantial growth to them. Not sure, but I think more rainfall would help them get going and get some more growth to them.”
Wellman says drought intensification is his biggest concern this summer.
