This crop year has been bountiful, yet challenging, for most folks involved in small grains production in Eastern Washington. June and July crop growth conditions across the Inland Northwest were characterized by temperatures suitable for grain-filling, excepting some frost occurrences in pockets of northern production counties. Widespread rain has been scarce, but a few timely storms benefited some areas tremendously.
WSU Extension and research faculty, along with USDA-ARS colleagues, participated in both WSU Extension and industry-led field tours that were well-attended by growers and industry throughout June and early July at Horse Heaven, Eureka, Walla Walla, Lind, Harrington, Douglas County, Mayview, Dayton, Fairfield, Pullman, Rosalia, Davenport, Almira, and Bickleton. In total, hundreds of wheat growers and many other industry stakeholders attended.
Primary topics included herbicide-resistant wheat variety development, stripe rust resistance and management, soilborne wheat mosaic virus, updates on variety testing operations, falling numbers research, and wheat variety performance. Other ongoing WSU research projects led by Kim Garland-Campbell, Arron Carter, Aaron Esser, Amber Hauvermale, Morgan Menaker, Mike Pumphrey, Alison Thompson, and Rachel Wieme were also discussed, alongside other companies and groups representing various seed, breeding, crop input, technology, and grower interests.
WSU Variety Testing harvest kicked off the first week of July with the winter wheat trials in Eureka and the machines have kept rolling the past month. We are currently moving into Whitman, Spokane, and Lincoln counties. Trial results have been distributed via the PrelimData email listserv since July 10, with winter wheat results reported from Eureka, Moses Lake, Lind, and Harrington. Horse Heaven and Moses Lake spring wheat trials had outstanding yields for the areas, with good test weight and protein. To receive more trial data and summaries as they become available, please subscribe to the PrelimData listserv. Trial data and summaries will also be added to the smallgrains.wsu.edu website later in August.
We would like to thank our many supporters, including the Washington Grain Commission and USDA-ARS, along with the many grower-cooperators, private sector colleagues, and wheat growers that keep this program effective. We hope for a continued safe harvest for all over the next few weeks.
Contributed by Dr. Mike Pumphrey, Professor of Crop Sciences-Spring Wheat Breeding and Genetics, Washington State University.