Rain showers in PNW wheat country

Thunder and lightning were widespread across the area on Tuesday night, but rainfall amounts from the storm were a mixed bag for wheat growers across the region. The Pendleton Airport report shows only a tenth of an inch of rainfall, yesterday, May 21st.

PRECIPITATION (IN)
  YESTERDAY        0.10          0.99 1972   0.04   0.06      T
  MONTH TO DATE    0.59                      0.87  -0.28     1.55
  SINCE OCT 1     10.03                      9.93   0.10    13.62
  SINCE JAN 1      7.95                      5.93   2.02     6.89

We will take any rain we can get this time of year, as heads are emerging across much of the region.  With last week's warm temperatures and heads emerging, we should see high temperature adult stripe rust resistance kicking in depending on the variety of wheat planted.

Plans are in the works for several Field Days across the region. The first one will be at the Hermiston Agricultural Research and Extension Center (HAREC) on June 1st. 

Here are some highlights:

HAREC Wheat
Field Day

June 1, 2012

3:00-5:00 PM

Oregon State University Extension Service specialists and researchers from OSU's Department of Crop and Soil Science will host an irrigated wheat field day on Friday, June 1, from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m at the Hermiston Agricultural Research and Extension Center. Refreshments will be provided.

Wheat growers, industry representatives, and the general public are invited to tour the research plots and learn about the current research efforts in irrigated wheat production.  Topics that will be covered include soft and hard winter wheat varieties; stripe rust; soilborne wheat mosaic virus; planting date and seeding rate information; and nitrogen management in winter and spring wheat.  Additionally, grower and industry input will be gathered for future research projects.    

For more information, contact Mike Flowers, OSU Extension cereals specialist at 541-737-9940; or Don Horneck, OSU Extension agronomist at 541-567-8321.