Category: Wheat

Maryland Regional Crop Reports: November 2023

Reports are for crop conditions up to November 16, 2023.

Western Maryland

Harvest is winding down. Nearly all of the corn and full-season beans are in the bins. Some of the double-crop beans weren’t even worth the cost of the fuel to harvest them. Cover crops are looking good as is the commodity wheat and barely. There are still a few acres that will get some rye. Manure is flying as we race to beat the December 15 deadline. Hay stocks are short but FSA has had the county designated a disaster area so there is some assistance available to make up for the shortfalls. Yields are all over the place depending on when the crop was planted and when the showers arrived. As always everyone is looking forward to 2024 being a better year.—Jeff Semler, Washington Co.

Central Maryland 

No Report.

Northern Maryland

2023 harvest has been about as smooth as anyone could ask for with very few weather interruptions. All but a few acres of corn and double-crop soybeans remain. Some rains here and there have been just enough to get cover crops and small grains off to a good start, especially those fields planted early, which have put on substantial growth and tillers. Corn yields have been very strong across most of the region and even record-setting on some farms. Soybeans on the other hand are average to below average in many fields and double-crop beans range from very poor to good. All things considered, yields (especially corn) were impressive considering how dry we started and finished the season; timely rains sure do make or break yields!—Andy Kness, Harford Co.

Upper and Mid Shore

Both corn and soybean harvest is finishing up. The high yields across the region have made grain delivery the last fewPreview (opens in a new tab) weeks a little frustrating. Tanks and piles are full. Granaries have been working to move grain out, but purchasing grain with reduced hours. On a positive note, that seems to be resolved now. The weather has cooperated to make harvest as easy and stress free as possible. We are finally receiving some rain to replenish ground water. Small grains are off to a good start.—Jim Lewis, Caroline Co.

Lower Shore

Corn harvest is 95% complete. Most full season soybean has been harvested. It has been very dry in the region, and soybean moisture is below 13%. Soybeans are dusty and farmers are blowing off combines due to fire hazard. Soybean yields are coming in average to slightly above average depending on how much rain fields received. Double crop soybean following wheat is still a few weeks from being harvested. Wheat planting is underway and farmers are planting into dry fields. In many fields, cover crops are already seeing substantial growth and some farmers continue to drill winter cereal cover crops following soybean harvest.—Sarah Hirsh, Somerset Co.

Southern Maryland

Wrap-up: The last acres of soybeans and corn are making their way off fields as we wind into the last chapters of 2023 season. The season started early, with ideal planting conditions in early April. Many growers planted beans and corn during that early window. Conditions turned dry and cooler through the latter part of April and into May and June. Growers struggled with annual ryegrass burndown control. Rains returned as we turned the page into summer and crops responded well. Concerns over the wheat and barley crop, which appeared uneven through he late spring, were unfounded. The small grain crop was of great quality and yield. Growers struggled during the later harvest period as rains delayed harvest well into July. Most corn made it through the pollination window with adequate moisture. Dry conditions returned once again in August and September, resulting in drought stress to beans and corn. Corn harvest started a little earlier than normal. Overall yield reports are above average, and something to be grateful for given the dry conditions later in the season. Beans were more of a mixed bag. Early planted beans performed well for the second year in a row, with most of the crop made by the time the rain ran out. Double crops beans ranged from very poor to very good depending on rain timing and stage of beans. The fall harvest season has been good. Wheat and barley has germinated well and is growing fast with warmer than normal fall temperatures.—Ben Beale, St. Mary’s Co.

*Regions (counties):
Western: Garrett, Allegany, Washington. Central: Frederick, Montgomery, Howard. Northern: Harford, Baltimore, Carroll. Upper & Mid Shore: Cecil, Kent, Caroline, Queen Anne, Talbot. Lower Shore: Dorchester, Somerset, Wicomico. Southern: St. Mary’s, Anne Arundel, Charles, Calvert, Prince George’s

October 2023 Grain Market Update

Information from USDA WASDE report

Attached is the summary for the October 2023 WASDE.

Corn

This month’s 2023/24 U.S. corn outlook is for reduced supplies, lower feed and residual use and exports, and smaller ending stocks. Corn production is forecast at 15.064 billion bushels, down 70 million on a cut in yield to 173.0 bushels per acre. Corn supplies are forecast at 16.451 billion bushels, a decline of 160 million bushels from last month, with lower production and beginning stocks. Exports are reduced by 25 million bushels reflecting smaller supplies and slow early-season demand. Feed and residual use is down 25 million bushels based on lower supply. With supply falling more than use, corn ending stocks for 2023/24 are lowered 110 million bushels. The season-average corn price received by producers is raised 5 cents to $4.95 per bushel.

Soybean

Soybean production is forecast at 4.1 billion bushels, down 42 million on lower yields. Harvested area is unchanged at 82.8 million acres. The soybean yield is projected at 49.6 bushels per acre, down 0.5 bushels from the September forecast. The largest production changes are for Kansas, Michigan, and Nebraska. With lower production partly offset by higher beginning stocks, supplies are reduced 24 million bushels. Soybean exports are reduced 35 million bushels to 1.76 billion with increased competition from South America. Soybean crush is projected at 2.3 billion bushels, up 10 million, driven by higher soybean meal exports and soybean oil domestic demand. Soybean oil domestic use is raised in line with an increase for 2022/23. With lower exports partly offset by increased crush, ending stocks are unchanged from last month at 220 million bushels. 

Wheat

The outlook for 2023/24 U.S. wheat this month is for higher supplies, increased domestic use, unchanged exports, and higher ending stocks. Supplies are raised 85 million bushels, primarily on higher production as reported in the NASS Small Grains Annual Summary, released September 29. Domestic use is raised 30 million bushels, all on higher feed and residual use. The NASS Grain Stocks report released September 29 indicated a higher year-to-year increase for first quarter (June-August) domestic disappearance than previously expected. Exports remain at 700 million bushels with several offsetting by-class changes. Projected ending stocks are raised by 55 million bushels to 670 million, up 15 percent from last year. The season average farm price is reduced $0.20 per bushel to $7.30 on higher projected stocks and expectations for futures and cash prices for the remainder of the marketing year.

Scout for Aphids in Small Grains

Kelly Hamby, Associate Professor and Extension Specialist, University of Maryland and
David Owens, Extension Entomologist, University of Delaware

Figure 1. Barley Yellow Dwarf patch in a field of malting barley, March 2023. Photo: David Owens, Univ. of Delaware.

Last season, aphids transmitted an unusual amount of barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV) to wheat and barley across the Delmarva Peninsula. BYDV is particularly important when it infects plants in the fall. Fall BYDV infections can stunt plants (noticed as early as green-up, Figure 1) and cause more serious yield loss than spring infections. Our most common small grain aphid species are bird cherry oat aphid (Figure 2) and English grain aphid, although bird cherry oat aphid are associated with greater and more severe incidence of BYDV.

Figure 2. Bird cherry-oat aphids.

Historically, planting after the Hessian fly-free date (Table 1) reduced the likelihood of fall BYDV infection. However, fly-free dates were calculated more than 100 years ago, and it is now not uncommon for our first killing frosts to occur in late October or even November. Long falls with milder weather allow more time for aphids to colonize fields and potentially transmit the virus. Small grains varieties vary in their susceptibility to BYDV, and planting varieties with at least some tolerance can help. Unfortunately, resistant varieties are not available in barley. Finally, monitoring and managing the aphid vectors may be necessary.

Identifying bird cherry-oat aphid: A magnifying hand lens is required to identify aphids. Bird cherry-oat aphid ranges from orange green to olive green to greenish black. Wingless individuals typically have a reddish orange patch around the base of the cornicles (tail pipes). Winged individuals tend to be very dark. Their legs, cornicles, and antennae are similar in color to their bodies and medium in size.

Monitoring and thresholds: Typically, monitoring aphids in the fall and at green-up provides the best chance of identifying and mitigating BYDV risk. Scout ten locations per field avoiding field margins and look at 1 ft of row in each, making sure to look at the crown (at or below ground level), at the stem, and on the undersides of leaves. English grain aphids tend to feed on the uppermost portions of the plants while bird cherry oat aphids tend to cluster on the lower portions, especially in barley.

University extension threshold recommendations vary by region. In southern states, 6 aphids/row-ft is considered justification for a treatment in the fall. North Carolina uses a threshold of 20 aphids/row-ft where BYDV has been a problem and cold weather is not in the 7 day forecast. For other small grains, consider increasing the threshold to 25-50 aphids per foot of row.

In 2022, one of the malting barley fields sampled averaged 17 aphids per row-ft in early November. Because of unusually warm winter weather in which average temperatures were greater than 38 degrees, aphid populations peaked in one field at 235 aphids per row-ft that had averaged 1.8 per row-ft in November. This highlights the need to regularly monitor aphid populations during periods of mild weather.

Natural enemies: A number of natural enemies feed upon or parasitize aphids and they often do a good job keeping aphid populations down. One natural enemy per 50-100 aphids should be sufficient to control aphid populations. In addition, they are good at finding aphids even when their populations are low. Small wasps that develop within aphids leaving behind “mummy” aphids (Figure 3A), lady beetles, lacewing larvae (Figure 3B), and flower fly larvae (Figure 3C) are especially common aphid natural enemies. Insecticides will also kill these natural enemies.

Figure 3. Aphid natural enemies A) parasitoid wasp and golden or tan colored “mummy” aphids, B) lacewing larva eating aphids, C) flower fly larva eating aphids. Images: David Cappaert, Bugwood.org.

Insecticides: Seed treatments (e.g., Cruiser, Gaucho) provide some protection from fall aphids, but do not continue to provide protection into the spring and are not economic in years where aphids do not occur. Due to the differences in economics and BYDV susceptibility of malting barley varieties, seed treatments may be more useful than in feed barley or wheat. We generally recommend a foliar insecticide when aphid populations reach threshold. Small grain aphids are generally quite susceptible to insecticides. Pyrethroid products (e.g., Warrior) or a pyrethroid-neonicotinoid mix (e.g., Endigo, labeled for barley only) work well for aphid control.

 

Table 1. Hessian fly-free dates for Maryland and Delaware counties

State County Date
Maryland Allegany Sept. 27
Anne Arundel Oct. 7
Baltimore Oct. 2
Calvert Oct. 8
Caroline Oct. 7
Carroll Sept. 28
Cecil Oct. 3
Charles Oct. 8
Dorchester Oct. 9
Frederick Oct. 2
Garrett Sept. 20
Harford Oct. 1
Howard Oct. 2
Kent Oct. 6
Montgomery Oct. 4
Prince George’s Oct. 7
Queen Anne’s Oct. 7
Somerset Oct. 10
St. Mary’s Oct. 9
Talbot Oct. 8
Washington Oct. 1
Wicomico Oct. 10
Worcester Oct. 11
Delaware Kent Oct. 8
New Castle Oct. 3
Sussex Oct. 10

More information:

Kleczewski, N., Cissel, B., Whalen, J. 2016. Barley Yellow Dwarf Management in Small Grains. http://cdn.extension.udel.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/14051904/BYDV-Final-Draft-9-12-16.pdf.

Flanders, K., Herbert, A., Buntin, D., Johnson, D., Bowen, K., Murphy, J. F., Chapin, J., Hagan, A. 2006. Barley Yellow Dwarf in Small Grains in the Southeast. https://entomology.ca.uky.edu/files/efpdf1/ef150.pdf.

Owens, D. and B. Cissel. Insect Control in Small Grains (for Grain only) – 2020. https://www.udel.edu/content/dam/udelImages/canr/pdfs/extension/sustainable-agriculture/pest-management/Insect_Control_in_Small_Grains_2020.pdf.

 

September 2023 Grain Market Update

Dale Johnson, Farm Management Specialist
University of Maryland

Information from USDA WASDE report

Attached is the summary for the September 2023 WASDE.

Corn

This month’s 2023/24 U.S. corn outlook is for slightly larger supplies and ending stocks. Projected beginning stocks for 2023/24 are 5 million bushels lower based on mostly offsetting trade and corn used for ethanol changes for 2022/23. Corn production for 2023/24 is forecast at 15.1 billion bushels, up 23 million from last month as greater harvested area more than offsets a reduction in yield. The national average yield is forecast at 173.8 bushels per acre, down 1.3 bushels. Harvested area for grain is forecast at 87.1 million acres, up 0.8 million. Total U.S. corn use is unchanged at 14.4 billion. With supply rising slightly and use unchanged, ending stocks are up 19 million bushels to 2.2 billion. The season-average corn price received by producers is unchanged at $4.90 per bushel.

Soybeans

U.S. soybean supply and use changes for 2023/24 include lower beginning stocks, production, crush, exports, and ending stocks. Lower beginning stocks reflect an increase for exports in 2022/23. Soybean production is projected at 4.1 billion bushels, down 59 million with higher harvested area offset by a lower yield. Harvested area is raised 0.1 million acres from the August forecast. The soybean yield of 50.1 bushels per acre is down 0.8 bushels from last month. The soybean crush forecast is reduced 10 million bushels and the export forecast is reduced 35 million bushels on lower supplies. Ending stocks are projected at 220 million bushels, down 25 million from last month. The U.S. season-average soybean price is forecast at $12.90 per bushel, up $0.20 from last month. The soybean meal price is unchanged at $380 per short ton and the soybean oil price is raised 1.0 cent to 63.0 cents per pound. Other changes this month include higher peanut and lower cottonseed production.

Wheat

The 2023/24 U.S. all wheat outlook for supply and use is unchanged this month with offsetting by-class changes on exports. The projected 2023/24 season-average farm price is also unchanged at $7.50 per bushel.

Maryland Regional Crop Reports: August 2023

Reports are for crop conditions up to August 3, 2023.

Western Maryland

Dry, dry, dry. Full season beans and corn are showing signs of drought stress. Many double crop beans are spotty and stressed. Hay yields are low so this winter could bring some hard decisions. The weatherman is giving us some hope with rain in the forecast but we have heard those predictions before only do be disappointed. The high heat has subsided and cooler overnight and morning temperatures are a welcome relief.—Jeff Semler, Washington Co.

Central Maryland 

Scattered thunderstorms have resulted in above, at, or below typical rainfall for the month of July, depending on what part of the county you’re located in. For the year, though, we’ve received 50-100% of normal rainfall. Corn at R2-R3, and soybeans at R1-R2. We continue to catch zero moths in the fall armyworm trap or western bean cutworm traps. Japanese beetles are clipping corn silks, but with the kernels already pollinated, that should not cause yield damage. Insect pests are present in soybeans, but in low numbers.—Kelly Nichols, Montgomery Co.

The corn crop is finishing pollination and entering the early stages of kernel development. Recent scouting trips have revealed significant curling of upper leaves above the ear given the recent spell of dry weather. Interestingly, grey leaf spot is abundant in the central and lower portions of the county, though the majority of the infection appeared to be localized to the lower canopy away from the ear leaf. Full season soybeans are ending flowering and beginning pod-fill, while double crop beans are in the later stages of vegetative development and will shortly begin flowering. Japanese Beetle pressure in soybeans has been of primary concern with some fields reaching greater than 60% defoliation. Forage crop regrowth is limited at best given spotty rains, however quality is generally terrific.—Mark Townsend, Frederick Co.

Northern Maryland

Most of the region was fortunate to get sufficient and consistent rainfall for much of July needed for pollination in corn; although there are some areas in Carroll County that have remained excessively dry. Most of the corn crop has pollinated by now; looking at some ears, 16 rows around is quite common; I believe we lost a couple rows around due to the drought in May and June. With continued rainfall hopefully we can make up for it in kernels per row and kernel depth. Most soybeans are R3 and have very little disease or insect pressure. Double crop soybeans are out of the ground and growing rapidly. Some second cutting of hay was made but some farmers are holding off due to the slow regrowth.—Andy Kness, Harford Co.

Upper and Mid Shore

Most of the region has received adequate rainfall over the past few weeks with some areas getting excessive amounts.  Corn yields will probably be pushing record yields again in most areas. Soybeans have excellent potential but still need rainfall to fill the pods. Most corn fields received a fungicide application whether needed or not. Stinkbugs are present in most fields. Troublesome weeds are outgrowing beans in some fields and being spot sprayed. Hay has been hard to make for the past month.—Jim Lewis, Caroline Co.

Lower Shore

It was a good year for wheat, with higher than average yields. Corn was hurt a bit by early dry weather, but has really turned around in the last three weeks after several rains. Most corn is currently in reproductive stages. Late corn will probably yield better than early planted corn. Most soybean is still in vegetative growth stage. Full season soybean was hurt a little due to dry weather, and are a little shorter than normal, but doing pretty well. Double-crop soybean is looking good. Cover crop sign-up acreage for the 2023-24 season has increased from last year.—Sarah Hirsh, Somerset Co.

Southern Maryland

We have continued to receive rain just in the nick of time during the last month. As is normally the case this time of year, there are areas with too much rain and others with too little, but overall, growing conditions have been favorable. Corn is mostly all pollinated and in the grain fill stage. Full season beans are also in good condition. We had adequate moisture during the week of hot weather which limited the adverse effect on crop condition. Double crop beans were late being planted following a late wheat harvest and most fields have not yet canopied. In both corn and soybean, Palmer amaranth, Waterhemp and common ragweed are making their normal debut above the crop canopy. Vegetable crops are coming off now with a consolidated harvest season due to the cooler May and hot temperatures as of late squeezing harvest the window.—Ben Beale, St. Mary’s Co.

*Regions (counties):
Western: Garrett, Allegany, Washington. Central: Frederick, Montgomery, Howard. Northern: Harford, Baltimore, Carroll. Upper & Mid Shore: Cecil, Kent, Caroline, Queen Anne, Talbot. Lower Shore: Dorchester, Somerset, Wicomico. Southern: St. Mary’s, Anne Arundel, Charles, Calvert, Prince George’s

2022 Maryland Weed Control Results

Kurt Vollmer, Weed Management Specialist | kvollmer@umd.edu
University of Maryland Extension

Figure 1. Preplant applications of Liberty (left) and Gramoxone (middle) compared to the untreated check (right) 10 days after application at Wye REC. Images: Kurt Vollmer, Univ. of Maryland.

Results from the 2022 Maryland Weed Control Trials are now available. These trials evaluate crop injury (PHYGEN) and herbicide efficacy (CONTRO) for certain weed species. This data can be used to compare herbicide options crops including corn, soybean, and wheat. Each metric is based on a visual assessment on a 0 to 100% scale with 0 being no control/injury and 100 being complete control/plant death. Products with a control rating less than 55% offer poor to no weed control. Growers should use caution when selecting an herbicide program based on one year of data as environmental conditions and weed populations can vary across locations. A copy of this report can be accessed at  https://extension.umd.edu/sites/extension.umd.edu/files/2023-07/2022%20Weed%20Control%20Results_FINAL.pdf or by using the QR code to the right, or by calling your local extension office for a copy. For more information on how to interpret this report, contact Dr. Kurt Vollmer (kvollmer@umd.edu).

2023 Small Grain Variety Trials

Vijay Tiwari, Assistant Professor, Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture
University of Maryland, College Park

Results from the 2022/23 University of Maryland wheat and barley variety trials have been published. You can access the report by clicking the link.

Click here to view the report

For questions/comments, please email Dr. Vijay Tiwari at vktiwari@umd.edu. For more information on how to make the most of variety trial data, refer to our fact sheet: What do the Numbers Really Mean? Interpreting Variety Trial Results (FS-1119)

Frederick County Grain Marketing Meeting

New Extension Program: Frederick County Grain Marketing Meeting The University of Maryland Extension Frederick County will now host a bi-weeky (every-other) meeting to discuss current topics in commodity grain markets for producers looking to improve their grain marketing strategy and stay informed about current market conditions. The meeting is intended to be an open, informal discussion rather than a lecture or presentation. In this, any and all members of the agricultural community/those interested in learning more about commodity grain markets are invited to attend.

Currently, meetings will be held at the Cracker Barrel in Frederick located just off Rt. 85 at 7408 Shockley Drive, Frederick, MD 21704 on Friday mornings from 7:30 am – 8:30 am. The meetings will be held over a delicious breakfast, however attendees will be responsible for purchasing their own meals. The next meeting will be held on Friday, Jul 28, 2023. Meeting location and times may be subject to change to better suit the needs of the attending group and will be announced.

For additional clarity, the current meeting schedule for the next five meetings is as follows:

  1. July 28, 2023
  2. August 11, 2023
  3. August 25, 2023
  4. September 8, 2023
  5. September 22, 2023

Attendees or interested parties are encouraged to complete the online form at the Frederick County Extension, Agriculture and Food Systems webpage or at https://go.umd.edu/FrederickGrain. Completion of the form is not required for attendance, however those who complete the form and provide an email address will receive additional information and timely updates of grain marketing topics, news, and market conditions between meetings.

Depending on group interest, expert speakers may be invited to attend and offer additional perspectives on marketing or market conditions at future meetings. For more information, comments, or questions please contact Mark Townsend, Agriculture Agent Associate, at mtownsen@umd.edu or (301) 600-3578. The UME-Frederick Ag&FS team looks forward to your attendance!

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This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

July 2023 Grain Market Update

Dale Johnson, Farm Management Specialist
University of Maryland

Information from USDA WASDE report

Attached is the summary for the July 2023 WASDE.

Corn

This month’s 2023/24 U.S. corn outlook is for fractionally higher supplies and ending stocks. Corn beginning stocks are lowered 50 million bushels, as greater feed and residual use for 2022/23 more than offsets reductions in corn used for ethanol and exports. Corn production for 2023/24 is forecast up 55 million bushels as greater planted and harvested area from the June 30 Acreage report is partially offset by a 4.0-bushel reduction in yield to 177.5 bushels per acre. According to data from the National Centers for Environmental Information, harvested-area-weighted June precipitation data for the major Corn Belt states represented an extreme downward deviation from average. However, timely rainfall and cooler than normal temperatures for some of the driest parts of the Corn Belt during early July is expected to moderate the impact of June weather. For much of the crop the critical pollination period will be in the coming weeks. With supply rising fractionally and use unchanged, ending stocks are up 5 million bushels. The season-average farm price received by producers is unchanged at $4.80 per bushel.

Soybean

Soybean production is projected at 4.3 billion bushels, down 210 million on lower harvested area. Harvested area, forecast at 83.5 million acres in the June 30 Acreage report, is down 4.0 million from last month. The soybean yield forecast is unchanged at 52.0 bushels per acre. With lower production partly offset by higher beginning stocks, 2023/24 soybean supplies are reduced 185 million bushels. Soybean crush is reduced 10 million bushels reflecting a lower soybean meal domestic disappearance forecast. Soybean exports are reduced 125 million bushels to 1.85 billion on lower U.S. supplies and lower global imports. With lower supplies only partly offset by reduced use, ending stocks for 2023/24 are projected at 300 million bushels, down 50 million from last month. The U.S. season-average soybean price for 2023/24 is forecast at $12.40 per bushel, up $0.30 from last month.

Wheat

Changes this month to the 2023/24 U.S. wheat outlook increase supplies and domestic use, leave exports unchanged, and increase ending stocks. Supplies are raised on larger production, which is up 74 million bushels to 1,739 million, on higher harvested area and yields. The first 2023/24 survey-based production forecast for other spring and Durum indicates a decrease from last year. Conversely, winter wheat production is forecast higher on larger harvested area and higher yields. Gains for all wheat production are partly offset by smaller beginning stocks, which are lowered 18 million bushels to 580 million as indicated in the Grain Stocks report, issued June 30. The 2023/24 ending stocks are forecast at 592 million bushels, 30 million higher than last month. The projected season-average farm price is forecast at $7.50 per bushel, down $0.20 from last month.