Winter Wheat Emergence Can Be Concerning

When it comes to winter wheat, 21% of the crop is in the ground nationwide, which is ahead of the five-year average of 17% for this time of year, and also ahead of last year’s rate by roughly 1%.  And of that winter wheat crop, roughly 2% has emerged nationwide, which is in line with the five-year average.  But USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey has words of caution when it comes to emergence this time of year.

“We’ll be looking very carefully at these emergence numbers over the next couple of weeks, because a lot of the major production areas across the Plains, and the Northwest are very dry, and moisture is desperately needed.”

That moisture, Rippey noted, is needed for not only proper emergence, but proper establishment of the crop headed into 2023.

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