For dual-purpose producers — those who want to graze cattle, then grow a crop to harvest — planting time will be coming up the beginning of September.
“Wheat planting is just around the corner,” said John Bushong, Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service northwest area agronomist.
Another expert agreed.
“It’s about that time of year to be planting the next winter wheat crop,” said Brady Sidwell, president of Enterprise Grain, Sidwell Strategies and other business endeavors. “Cooler weather is usually associated with planting season, and we’re all ready for temps to drop after the recent heat wave ...”
However, National Weather Service is forecasting high temperatures to climb again to near 100 by Sunday.
“Early to mid-September is usually the start date for producers that intend to graze wheat, but it is always risky due to the hot temperatures,” Sidwell said. “With cattle prices at new records, there is a lot of interest in seed wheat varieties with good forage potential. Cattle are expensive, so we may see some producers wait to purchase cattle, although it is possible that these prices don’t break until after the need to purchase stockers.
“Whatever you intend, Sidwell Strategies urges producers to protect your equity when buying calves at this level. There is a lot of investment that goes into running cattle on wheat, including seed wheat, fertilizer and the cost of cattle, and it is important to protect your equity in this higher priced, but volatile market environment with plenty of geopolitical issues globally, including the U.S. election ahead in the next year.”
Those producers who are looking for just a grain crop to harvest next spring generally wait until October to plant, Bushong said, to avoid some disease and insect issues.
Soil conditions are beginning to dry out some, after the abundant rainfall in spring and early summer, he said.
While the moisture always is appreciated, the rain did cause some issues with weeds in fields where farmers did not work the ground after harvest. Now, they are dealing with “weeds that got bigger during the rain,” Bushong said.
Right now, the big issues facing producers are selecting the wheat variety they want to plant, weed control and soil health — “taking soil samples to see what they need to do,” Bushong said, in terms of what to add to the soil before planting.
Availability of some seed wheat varieties is tight, both men said. That’s especially true in far western Oklahoma, where production was down this year, Bushong said, leaving seed supplies limited.
“After a year of lower wheat yields, farmers have been booking seed wheat earlier this year than in years past,” Sidwell said. “Prices are within the range of last year with availability tight. Many seed dealers are nearly fully booked on seed wheat varieties.”
He advises producers to check options and prioritize the needs in their operation to get a variety that fits what they need.
“Knowing your soil pH is an important factor before making a seed selection,” Sidwell said.
The cooler and wetter spring in some parts of the state resulted in a better 2023 wheat crop than many had expected.
In May, before the rains, the 43rd annual Wheat Crop report created by Oklahoma Grain and Feed Association estimated statewide production at about 40.7 million bushels.
However, the rain and cooler weather after that report was issued benefitted the state wheat crop. U.S. Department of Agriculture pegged the crop at 70.2 million bushels, with an average yield of 27 bushels an acre.