Late rainfall helps dryland wheat crops

MOSES LAKE — This spring’s added precipitation has a seed company manager expecting slightly above- average yields for dryland wheat farmers.

MOSES LAKE — This spring’s added precipitation has a seed company manager expecting slightly above- average yields for dryland wheat farmers.

The improvement could range between 10 and 20 percent, said Dan McKay, manager of McKay Seed in Moses Lake and Almira.

“I think the rain will help a lot,” he said Thursday.

McKay also mentioned an incident of hail Wednesday night north of Hartline.

It wasn’t clear Thursday how the hail affected the crops.

Ritzville grower Ron Jirava said he’s “very optimistic” about his winter wheat and spring wheat crops.

“I happened to be looking at the computer last night and it showed there’s more moisture (here) than in Pullman,” he said.

He expects his winter wheat yields will only be slightly improved from last year because a wheat disease called stripe rust was found in places.

The crop also had a rough start last year.

“Spring wheat is looking as good as winter wheat,” Jirava commented. “It doesn’t happen that often.”

In his area, there are 9 inches of precipitation, with between 3 and 3.5 inches in May.

The moisture is “setting it up real nice for fall planting,” he says.

The average precipitation ranged between 6 and 8 inches in the last few years.

“No matter where you’re at, moisture is a blessing,” he said.

Coulee City grower Phil Isaak said the immediate area relies on winter moisture.

“We had very little winter moisture,” he said. “Here, our ground was frozen,” Isaak explained. “Those rains have just changed that dramatically. Now the potential is very good.”

He’s seen many above average crops. “Of course, every area has a different history of what their yield is,” Isaak says.

He expects to start harvest July 25.

“Of course, there’s quite a good ways to go until the crop has matured,” he said.

Ritzville grower Jerry Snyder said the outlook for dryland crops depends on the location.

“The rains have been in all, a very good thing, even though we had to spray for (stripe) rust,” Snyder said. 

Growers in the Lind and Ritzville areas were affected by an October dust storm that closed Interstate 90. Some farmers there replanted fields three times.

Rainfall was also varied, although it was widespread.

In Ritzville, since May, five inches of rain was recorded. Normally, it’s five-tenths, he said.

“A record crop, probably not,” Snyder commented. “Good? Yes.”

Dark northern spring wheat will be at a premium, he said.

“It will be interesting to see how much club versus white and how much hard red winter we have,” Snyder said.