This Joint Is Jumpin'!

This "joint" is jumping. Well, the 2015 wheat crop is jointing anyway.

"Jointing" is when the leaf begins to elongate, forming a stem. Here's how it looks on the inside of the wheat stalk.

The joint is located where Randy's finger is pointing in the photo below.

 

Jointing is the time frame where yield potential for the wheat plant is determined, so it's a benefit if it has adequate moisture and nutrients available to it. We've done what we can about the nutrients. We top-dressed the wheat fields with liquid nitrogen. Now it's up to Mother Nature to supply the moisture we need and to keep the temperatures above freezing.

My Farmer says he'd like to order 3 inches of rain, slowly and gently falling over 3 days. If only it worked like that! We have the potential of thunderstorms and hail today. 

 

There are some areas in the field that are showing stress due to drought. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, we are in an area of moderate drought (the peachy color in the map below). But, for the most part, the wheat looks good in our area. 

 Kansas Agricultural Statistics reports that the winter wheat crop in Kansas is rated 44 percent fair, with 35 rated good. Both extremes of the crop -- the "very poor" and the "excellent" - make up 4 percent each, and 13 percent is rated poor.

The report also indicates that wheat jointing was at 15 percent at the end of last week, ahead of 5 percent last year, but behind the 18 percent average.

I guess this is one of those times when it's good to be average?