Annual Wheat Quality Council Tour Reports Beautiful Wheat Crop
The Wheat Quality Council discovered a "beautiful, disease free" wheat crop on their annual tour
According to a Grand Forks Herald article, the Wheat Quality Council’s annual wheat tour participants have reported a beautiful, essentially disease free wheat crop as they passed through a record-tying 472 stops.
A record 75 people, primarily government statisticians and representatives of millers and other companies involved in the wheat industry were pleased with what they saw as they toured North Dakota, northern South Dakota, and northwest Minnesota. The tour estimated 2013’s wheat yield at 44.9 bushels per acre, the same number as 2012 tour estimates.
However, this year’s wheat crop development seems to be far behind last year’s pace, as a wet, cool spring put a delay on planting. Warm temperatures in July have allowed the wheat to develop and catch up after a slow spring, but experts warn too much heat could damage the crop.
Ben Handcock, president of the Brighton, Colo.-based Wheat Quality Council, said “I think this is a really nice wheat crop. It’s got one major problem — too late. If the weather stays like it is right now — low 80s, maybe not getting to 80 every once in a while — it’ll probably be fine. But if it gets to 90 to 95 degrees when that stuff’s trying to fill, then we might have issues with test weights … But man it is a beautiful crop right now — almost no disease in it.”
Current wheat conditions in North Dakota, northern South Dakota, and northwest Minnesota are in great shape according to the Wheat Quality Council, however, excessive heat could potentially damage this year’s promising crop.