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Wet, cool weather aids in small grain development

Wet, cool weather that adversely affected corn and soybean development has benefited small grains. 

Jochum Wiersma with the University of Minnesota says despite planting delays, conditions have been favorable for spring wheat and barley.

“So of all the small grains that did get seeded, everything looks really good right now.”

He tells Brownfield there are isolated reports of disease and pest pressure.

“Leaf rust and stripe rust. But overall, these really cool conditions have done wonders for the small grains crop.”

And while corn and soybeans need to catch up on Growing Degree Units, Wiersma says the opposite is true for small grains.

“For the spring cereals, especially if nighttime temperatures start to increase, that would actually put a little damper on yield potential.”