Recent rains have delayed harvest....but most people are back in the fields now

The last couple of weeks have been wet, really wet; and although it is hard to get mad about having moisture to re-charge our soils, it didn't necessarily come at the most opportune time.

Harvest has been delayed for a few weeks now as fields have just been too wet to get equipment into.  To add insult, to injury, a fair amount of the wheat crop that has yet to be harvested is now starting to sprout in the field.  Many producers around the state of Montana are concerned about what the quality of our small grains will be once harvest resumes (which is slowly starting to occur).  Here are some terrific resources in regards to the effects of wet weather on small grain quality and what to consider if you are contemplating using grain that has started to sprout as livestock feed.

On the Montana Ag Alerts site (http://www.mtagalert.org/) you will find four articles related to the recent rains, the harvest of grains and hay, and the disease issues associated with late-season showers.  The articles found here include;

• What should I be concerned about with these late-season rains in grain crops? 
• Rain causing issues in Montana hay
• Risk of mycotoxins in grain and hay
• What to do about wheat streak management this fall?

Small grains that are beginning to sprout are a separate issue.  If you have livestock, you may consider using this grain for feed.  North Dakota State University has an excellent resource titled "Feeding Value of Sprouted Grains".  It can be found by going to http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/ansci/livestoc/as647.pdf

Hopefully the rains have subsided now and not too much of the crop has been lost.  We are also at a point where seeding winter wheat should begin and, if the rain holds off long enough for fields to dry out, there should be ample moisture to allow the winter wheat crop to get off to a good start.