Planted in the fall each year for an early summer harvest, winter wheat is an important crop for Prairie State farmers and a main ingredient in many popular food items. Learn a few fascinating facts about winter wheat production in Illinois below.
- In 2022, Illinois farmers harvested 560,000 acres of winter wheat for a total production of more than 44 million bushels of the crop.
- Illinois ranks No. 7 in the nation for winter wheat production.
- Most Illinois wheat is grown in the southern part of the state.
- Washington County leads the state in winter wheat production, followed by Randolph and Perry counties.
- Southern Illinois farmers plant winter wheat in October. After initial growth in the fall, the crop lies dormant until late winter when its growth resumes. Farmers harvest the grain in June and July.
- Illinois farmers primarily grow soft red winter wheat, which has ideal characteristics for milling and baking.
- Common uses for soft red winter wheat include foods like cereals, cakes, cookies, pretzels, pancakes and crackers as well as nonfood items like glue, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and more.
- Farmers can use winter wheat as a cover crop to manage erosion and improve soil quality. But unlike other cover crops, it can also be harvested.
- Farmers can plant soybeans directly into wheat stubble after harvest, allowing for double-cropping (getting two crops out of the same field in one year).
- Wheat ranks third among U.S. field crops (behind corn and soybeans) in planted acreage, production and gross farm receipts.
I am interested to study wheat farming practices and scope of improvement for growing demand for food.
I’m wondering if the wheat is going to be effected this year in 2023 like the media is saying, or is this a scare tactic like they pull all the time.