By Carolyn Cole/Staff Writer

Another rainy week washed out Canadian County wheat fields, delaying farmers from harvesting the crop while quality declined.

While no sprouting in the wheat head has so far been reported — a worst-case scenario, county extension educator Brad Tipton said the rains have hit farmers hard.

“Every day that crop is out there, it continues to go down in quality,” he said.

A month ago, Tipton said farmers thought they were poised for a golden year with 50- to 60-bushels-per-acre yields. However, record rainfalls in May drowned out some crops, while crop diseases and insects ran rampant. A late frost on Easter weekend also caused more damage than was first expected, Tipton said.

Instead of a bountiful harvest, he said, yields are at best average, about 30 bushels per acre.

More rain that hit the area starting in the middle of last week have further crippled the crop and drove combines from the fields. Tipton said farmers lost at least four days of harvesting to the rain. Meanwhile, the wheat berries were absorbing water. While the berries will dry out, they never return to their initial density.

Grain elevator workers will not accept grains if they are too damp because they could rot in storage. Betty Keach at the Banner Co-op said they prefer grain that has a moisture level of 12 percent or less, and with the recent heavy rains and high humidity, farmers could be even further delayed in harvesting the crop.

“It’s going to be worse than it was,” she said.

Because high-quality grains are scarce, the price for top grade wheat shot up Monday to $5.43 per bushel. A bushel of high quality wheat weighs 60 pounds.

If a bushel of wheat weighs less than 50 pounds, the grains are considered animal feed grade, and the value drops. Feed wheat sells for about $1.70 per 100 pounds of grain.

Tipton said he’s talked with several area farmers who were less than halfway through harvesting when the rains came last week. These farmers will fight the mud this week to get the crop cut, he said, if heavy rains didn’t flatten stalks, making it even more difficult to harvest.

“They are trying to make up lost time,” he said.

Most Oklahomans haven’t felt the impact of the recent weather, Tipton said, adding his neighbors are marveling at their green lawns this late in the year.

“They are going to pay more at the food store,” he said.