Winter wheat in US Plains damaged by dust storm

27 December 2021, 07:45

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Hurricane-force winds that hit the U.S. Plains(In the United States, the Great Plains contain parts of 10 states: Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado, Oklahoma, Texas, and New Mexico.) belt inflicted varying degrees of damage on the winter wheat crop, already struggling with dry conditions in the region, Reuters reports with reference to the data provided by Kansas crop observers.

Young wheat plants have been uprooted right out of the ground in the worst-affected fields, but the remaining wheat may be able to recover, especially if the root crowns of the plants were protected just below the soil surface. Still, the crop will need moisture and the coming forecasts appear to be dry.

"Some acres today no doubt are gone. But there is probably a larger set of acres that have been severely damaged, and the weather we get from here on out will play a role," Lucas Haag, a Kansas State University extension agronomist, said.

Kansas is the largest producer of hard red winter wheat, the largest class of wheat in the US, which is used to produce flour for bread. With global food prices at a 10-year high, traders are keeping an eye on crop prospects in the U.S., which is among the world's top wheat suppliers.

Meteorologists said Wednesday's storm brought "Dust Bowl" conditions and gusts of more than 100 mph (161 kph) to parts of the plains, reminiscent of the dry years in the U.S. in the 1930s.

Whitened and stripped of leaves, some wheat this week appeared to have been damaged by static electricity from blowing dust, a phenomenon more common in the Dust Bowl years, Haag said.

Farmers might be able to get a more accurate idea of the prospects for recovery in about 10 days. But what the crop needs most is moisture and perhaps fertiliser, both of which are in short supply.

"With the current conditions and forecasts, and with the high fertilizer prices and availability concerns this spring, all components of the needed wheat 'rebound' cocktail (are) in question," Justin Gilpin, chief executive of the Kansas Wheat Commission, wrote in a market note.

Winter crops in Ukraine are reported to be in good and fair condition.