More Improvement in Winter Wheat Condition as Harvest Nears

Jun 01, 2023

With the harvest drawing nearer, the condition of the US winter wheat crop is showing further improvement.

Tuesday’s weekly USDA crop progress report pegged the national winter wheat crop at 34% good to excellent as of Sunday. That is up 3 points on the week and topped pre-report trade expectations of 32% good to excellent. Just in the last two weeks alone, the condition of the winter wheat crop has gained 5 points, as more rain has fallen on the drought-battered southern Plains.

Most of this past week’s overall improvement can be attributed to Oklahoma, where the crop is now rated 30% good to excellent – a whopping 20-point increase from a week earlier. The state crop progress report said simply that recent rainfall has allowed soil moisture, as well as small grain conditions, to improve. On the other hand, the condition of the crop in the No. 1 production state of Kansas held unchanged from a week earlier at just 10% good to excellent.

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Video: Winter Canola Trial in Mississippi | Can It Work for Double Cropping? | Pioneer Agronomy

Can winter canola open new opportunities for growers in the Mid-South? In this agronomy update from Noxubee County, Mississippi, Pioneer agronomist Gus Eifling shares an early look at a first-year winter canola trial and what farmers are learning from the field.

Planted in late October on 30-inch rows, the crop is now entering the bloom stage and progressing quickly. In this video, we walk through current field conditions, fertility management, and how timing could make this crop a valuable option for double-cropping soybeans or cotton.

If harvest timing lines up with early May, growers may be able to transition directly into another crop during ideal planting windows. Ongoing field trials will help determine whether canola could become a viable rotational option for the region.

Watch for:

How winter canola is performing in its first season in this Mississippi field

Why growers chose 30-inch rows for this trial

What the crop looks like as it moves from bolting into bloom

Fertility strategy, including nitrogen and sulfur applications

How canola harvest timing could enable double-cropping with soybeans or cotton

Upcoming trials comparing soybeans after canola vs. traditional planting

As more growers look for ways to maximize acres and diversify rotations, experiments like this help determine what new crops might fit into existing systems.