The Enid News and Eagle, Enid, OK

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July 13, 2007

Recent weather showers blessings on some crops in the area

By Kevin Hassler, Associate Editor

While the seemingly never-ending rain of the last couple of months have devastated northwest Oklahoma’s wheat crop, other agricultural producers may be reaping its benefits.

Corn, grain sorghum and soybean producers could see good crops, according to Roger Don Gribble, Ok-lahoma Cooperative Extension Service northwest area agronomist. Alfalfa and grass hay producers, however, have been hurt by the rain.

Corn producers could see an above-average crop, Gribble said.

While most of northwest Oklahoma’s corn is grown in Garfield and Kay counties, he said, there is corn grown as far west as Woodward County.

“We’ve got dryland corn in Woodward that’s as good as if we were standing in Iowa,” Gribble said.

Much of the corn in the Enid area had to be replanted because of the April 8 freeze, he said. Corn planted in late February and early March got a good start but was hurt by the freeze.

New corn has benefited from the rain and cooler temperatures but is behind in growth because of its later planting, he said.

“The yield potential is not as good because it’s late,” he said.

Overall, though, the area’s corn crop should be above average when it is harvested in Aug-ust, Gribble said, although it could benefit from sun now.

Grain sorghum and soybean crops also have benefited from the recent rain.

Sorghum planted in late-April has the potential for a “tremendous” crop, Gribble said.

“It’s as good as I’ve ever seen,” he said.

Yield potential for when it’s harvested in late-August and early September could be 120-130 bushels an acre.

Sorghum planted late as a double crop on failed wheat acres, he said, also is “looking good” for harvest in October, but yields don’t look to be a good as early sorghum.

Soybeans, planted in April with a harvest date in September, are looking good, Gribble said, with yield potential of 50 bushels an acre.

Soybean crops planted in June on harvested wheat acres, as well as on failed wheat acres, will be harvested in October.

Both sorghum and soybean crops, though, have experienced weed-control problems because of the rain, Gribble said.

Hay producers haven’t had much luck in getting any good cuttings, he said.

“The hay production has just taken it on the chin,” he said.

Moisture levels for alfalfa producers have been “devastating,” he said, with water standing in many fields and killing plants.

“We needed to fill a lot of barns with hay,” he said, “but the quality is not good.”

Lower-quality hay can be fed to livestock locally, Gribble said, but producers won’t be able to sell it and ship it out to other areas.

“That’s the opportunity we missed,” he said.

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