Thursday, April 24, 1997

Freeze and Hessian fly may trim wheat crop for some

By J.T. SMITH

Farm Editor

Wheat in the Abilene region is a mixed bag.

Ag specialists are still trying determine the extent of damage to the wheat crop from the freeze during the second week of April.

Taylor County Extension Agent Gary Bomar expects the damage to range from 5 percent to 20 percent. The older wheat, planted in September and October, was likely hurt the most. Younger wheat planted in December - because it wasn't as far along in the growth cycle - appears to have suffered less damage.

While temperatures in the 20s well into April caused most of conversation in agricultural circles and sent the wheat market on a wild ride, the Hessian fly also has been an another challenge to the wheat crop in some counties.

"Hessian fly problems are in some wheat fields, and (wheat) rust is developing in most of the county," says Marty Gibbs, Coleman County Extension agent.

Meanwhile, Gibbs says the wheat damage from the freeze is not clear at this point.

Coke County Ag Agent Tommy Antilley estimates the late freeze caused about 15 to 20 percent damage to the wheat in the Robert Lee and Bronte areas.

Still, the wheat crop should be about average, Antilley predicts, since it had the potential to have been an excellent crop if the freeze hadn't struck.

Meanwhile, most of the oat crop is being grazed out, Antilley reports.

Antilley says some grain sorghum is being planted. But most producers are waiting for fields to dry a bit.

Meanwhile, Jones County is getting ready to plant cotton, says CEA Todd Vineyard of Anson. Most farmers have bedded up, and their yellow, pre-plant herbicides have been incorporated in getting ready to plant cotton.

But the Jones County wheat appears to have been hit hard.

"Excessive freeze damage hit all of Jones County," Vineyard reports.

Vineyard estimates that wheat that was in the boot stage at the time of the freeze received about 15 percent damage. But any wheat that was headed but not germinated was zapped with 85 to 100 percent damage. Germinated wheat received 30 to 50 percent damage, Vineyard notes.

In Nolan County, much of the wheat was hammered by the freeze in the Sweetwater area. Zachary Wilcox, county agent, estimates 10 to 20 percent of the wheat was damaged.

Some producers will be looking at other options to grain harvest, such as baling the wheat forage, Wilcox says.