News

Southern Illinois winter wheat thinner than recent years

The Illinois wheat crop is smaller than last year.  Illinois Wheat Tour participants fanned out across the southern part of the state Thursday counting wheat plants, or tillers, and actual wheat kernels and determined the average estimated yield to be about 60.35 bushels an acre.  Tour leader Dave DeVore was not surprised to see the yield down five to seven bushels from recent years.

“We felt that tiller counts were lower than what we’ve seen the last two or three years,” DeVore told Brownfield Ag News following the tour.

Wheat grower John Kaiser interrupted his field surveying Thursday to tell Brownfield that less-than-ideal wheat growing weather did not leave him with high expectations.

“I’m seeing quite a bit better than what I anticipated,” said Kaiser.

The USDA’s yield figure for last year’s crop was 67 bushels an acre.  This year’s harvest is in a month or so.

AUDIO: John Kaiser (3 min. MP3)

AUDIO: Dave DeVore (2 min. MP3)