Craig Mentzer looked over a field of golden brown wheat Thursday afternoon, its multitude of heads swaying in unison to a brisk breeze, and allowed the upcoming wheat harvest could be “really good.”
“It’s going to be fun to find out,” Mentzer said lightheartedly, before turning to a more serious nature.
Farming isn’t fun and games. Lack of rain, or too much, hail or wind can ruin a crop that for months has looked extraordinarily good.
“See that row of three berries,” he said, showing a wheat head. “That’s good,” indicating the head is full and productive.
He then vigorously rubbed the head in his palm. A plump berry broke free. Mentzer inspected it closely, pushing a thumb nail into it, leaving a crease.
That’s also good, he noted, because of concerns that recent warm and windy weather had dried wheat too quickly. A shriveled berry would have been a bad omen.
Mentzer could recall only a few years when the wheat harvest started as early this year’s apparently will.
“Usually we hope to be done by June 10,” he said. “I think I’ll be able to cut Monday.”
Wheat making 50 bushels to the acre may be in the offing.
Sufficient rain came just right and the dry spell of late — rain of consequence hasn’t fallen in Iola since May 1 — hasn’t been a problem.
He has mixed emotions about the prediction of possible rainfall.
Rain could damage the wheat’s quality and Mentzer would prefer not to have to harvest in muddy fields. On the other hand, a good soaking rain would be a godsend for corn. Soybeans, many just breaking ground, also would benefit.
“A rain right now would mean roastin’ ears by July 4,” Mentzer said, as he inched his truck along the edge of a field with dark-green corn stalks nearly shoulder-high, about to tassel. “Then, if we get another rain in early July …” and visions of bumper yields danced in Mentzer’s mind’s eye.
The spate of dry weather hasn’t been a great hindrance to corn — not yet at least.
Once corn stalks get a little height, they shade the ground and most of the moisture the soil loses goes to their benefit. Also, having it a little dry means roots grow deeper into the ground, which gives them a firm footing when weather turns really hot and dry in July and August.
“If it’s wet (early in a corn plant’s life) the roots spread out rather than grow down,” Mentzer observed. “You want deep roots when it’s hot and dry.”
