The big topic around the River Valley District, besides the weather, seems to be the condition of the wheat. Much of the district has been grateful to catch some much needed rainfall, but we most certainly would be glad for some more rainfall. As far as wheat, toward the beginning of April, we had lows in the teens and even lower than that in some areas. The big concern was whether there would be extensive damage to the wheat crop. Thankfully, the wheat was typically three to four weeks behind at the time, placing most of it before the “hollow stem” stage. With the radiant energy stored up at the time in the soil and the wheat being behind in growth, most wheat fared well after the severe cold.
In addition to the wheat being behind, another question that came up was wheat grazing and when to remove cattle. For grain yield optimization, cattle should be removed before hollow stem ideally and no later than the first node of jointing. For cattle forage optimization, with the consideration of at least “some” wheat to harvest, cattle should be removed right at jointing depending on stocking rate and location of the wheat head in the stem. I always stress, find the threshold “balance” that finds the best economical return for the operation. If more return can be made on longer grazing than normal, consider that over grain production but remember to check with your local Farm Service Agency office and crop insurance agent to make sure you are in compliance.
