Trevor Guy, precision agriculture and conservation specialist for the Three Rivers Soil and Water Conservation District, collects wheat yield estimates. Credit: Christie Culliton for Virginia Tech
For generations, wheat planting has followed predictable seasonal patterns. But this year, unseasonably warm weather in March and April accelerated wheat growth, pushing the crop into a vulnerable growth stage when widespread freezing temperatures hit.
As weather becomes less predictable, choosing the right planting date has become more difficult. For wheat growers in Virginia, where tight margins already make every decision count, getting the timing right is a matter of survival.
"Wheat's low market price and high input costs have meant that Virginia's wheat acreage has declined in recent years," said Joseph Oakes, Eastern Virginia Agricultural Research and Extension Center (AREC) superintendent and Extension specialist.
As historical weather data show a shifting climate, tools to determine ideal planting dates are vital for growers to ensure enough warm days for sufficient yield while minimizing the potential for late-spring freezes.
