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Late spring wheat planting expected in SD

A South Dakota farmer says the thaw of the recent blizzard will delay spring wheat planting. 

Tregg Cronin from Gettysburg says it will be a few weeks before fieldwork starts. 

“We want it to keep warming up so we get rid of the snow, but the faster it melts the faster the water will run and more flooding happens. The slower the thaw, precious days in the field are taken away.”

Cronin says the latest his farm has ever planted spring wheat in the last decade was at the end of April. He says any time spring wheat is planted after mid-May, there can be a yield decline. 

“Good spring wheat needs a long, cool growing season. When you shave a month of that off, by the time the wheat gets into the ground in May, the growing season is compressed. Usually, the key development stages are moved to July when it’s hotter weather.”

He says it’s too soon to think about changing crops, but it will be a discussion if the crop isn’t planted by early May. 

Photo credit: Tregg Cronin