The drought monitor map is showing all of Defiance County, a large portion of Henry County and parts of Williams and Paulding Counties are in the moderate drought category and Mark Wachtman who farms near Napoleon in Henry County says crops are showing it.
“They’ve been showing stress for the last two weeks already,” said Wachtman, who serves as President of the Ohio Corn and Wheat Growers Association. “The soybeans aren’t taking it so well because they didn’t have the size to them, some of the corn fields, anywhere there was compaction from last fall is really showing up on the crops.”
Wachtman tells Brownfield wheat harvest could begin as early as next week and if they got some rain, double crop soybeans would be an option this year.
“A lot of guys are eyeing double cropping beans behind wheat because how early it’s going to come off, but when it’s this dry it’s pretty hard to get enthused about doing that,” Wachtman said.
It looks as if wheat harvest in NW Ohio will be 10 days to two weeks earlier than normal.
Audio: Mark Wachtman, farmer, Henry County Ohio (3:20 mp3)
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