Wheat watchers week of May 27, 2024
Print
EmailSee how the wheat crop is progressing across the state this week.
This report will come out weekly until most of the state hits flower and then will switch to bi-weekly until most of the state has reached harvest. This report is only possible because of our agribusiness and farmers who participate as wheat watchers. If you are interested in being a wheat watcher, especially if you see your area isn’t represented, please reach out to Michigan State University Extension field crops educator Jenna Falor at falorjen@msu.edu.
Overall, this week reporters are seeing wheat stands in good condition ranging in Feekes growth stage 9-10.5.4 across the state. This means all the crop has reached flag leaf and much of the wheat across the state has began flowering or completed flowering.
Southwest region
We had one wheat watcher reporting from the southwest region in Barry County near Hickory Corners. Wheat is reported to be at Feekes 10.5.3 – 10.5.4. This means flowering is complete and in some of the advanced fields, the kernel is increasing in size and a clear fluid comes out when you squeeze the kernel. Growers have been watching for stripe rust but haven’t seen any. There has been more than a half-inch of rain in the past week with more to come, so continuing to scout is essential.
If you are interested in receiving southwest Michigan crop updates, Michigan State University (MSU) Extension field crops educator Nicolle Ritchie puts out a weekly update through MSU Extension Field Crops News.
Southeast region
We had two wheat watchers reporting from the southeast, one in Jackson County and one in Monroe County near Ida. They are reporting Feekes 10.5.3 – 10.5.4. In Jackson County, fungicide applications are in progress. The watcher in Monroe County reports applying head scab fungicide in the middle of last week. Both watchers are reporting recent rain events, with the watcher near Ida reporting 1.2 – 2.2 inches of rain Sunday night, May 26, into Monday. There have been no reports of head scab but the watcher in Jackson County is keeping an eye out.
East central (Thumb) region
We had two wheat watchers reporting from the Thumb in Huron County near Elkton and Ubly, respectively. Wheat has reached Feekes 10.2 – 10.5.2 The next field pass for many will be a head scab application at flower if growers have not already applied. The watcher near Elkton is reporting some leaf rust in select varieties that haven’t been sprayed yet. Stripe rust has been found in Huron, Tuscola and Sanilac counties. Rain has been spotty across the area with some areas receiving hail over the past week. There has not been any damage reported from it though. Some fields have had occasional ponding if they have received the heavier rain amounts repeatedly.
Central region
We had two wheat watchers reporting from the central region, one in Ingham County near Mason and one in Saginaw County near Richville. Wheat is reported at Feekes 10.5.1 – 10.5.4 across the region. The watcher near Mason is reporting Feekes 10.5.1 – 10.5.4 while the watcher near Richville is reporting Feekes 10.5.3. The watcher in Saginaw County is watching for rust but hasn’t seen any personally, but there are cases reported in Saginaw County. The watcher in Mason is reporting that most T3 fungicide applications are complete.
If you are interested in viewing the central Michigan crop updates, MSU Extension field crops educator Monica Jean puts out a weekly, live update through the MSU Extension Field Crops Facebook page.
West central region
We had two wheat watchers reporting from the west central region, one in Newago County and one in Kent County. The watcher in Kent County is reporting Feekes 9 – 10.5 (flag leaf to heading complete), while the watcher in Newaygo County is reporting Feekes 10.5 – 10.5.3 (heading complete to flower complete). Farmers have been out spraying fungicides, though some are electing not to. The watcher in Kent County is reporting a wide range of growth stages in plants from field to field that seems to correlate with planting dates, which could lead to a longer harvest. There has been some leaf rust in the area and with the sudden turn in weather, growers are expecting it to get worse. The watcher in Kent County is also reporting that current head counts and spikelet counts are coming in lower than expected.
North region
We had no wheat watchers reporting from the Northern area this week.
Notes from Dennis Pennington and Marty Chilvers
Dennis Pennington, a Michigan State University wheat systems specialist, is reporting that new stripe rust infections have leveled off or stopped in most areas. The T3 fungicide application has stopped the development. He is also reporting cereal leaf beetle is ramping up in some fields and many growers added an insecticide with their glowering fungicide to address this.
Marty Chilvers, a Michigan State University field crops plant pathologist, is reporting that stripe rust has been confirmed in many counties. Be sure to scout and consider a fungicide if an application hasn’t been made. The Fusarium head scab risk tool continues to show low risk. If you want to read Chilver’s full report on stripe rust and fusarium head scab risk, see “Wheat stripe rust outbreak and Fusarium head scab risk prediction.”
