Illinois wheat farmers achieve impressive yields with improved production practices
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By RHIANNON BRANCH | FarmWeek
Photo by Rhiannon Branch of FarmWeek
A wheat tour participant looks to group leader Dave Devore for instructions to properly count tillers and spikelets. Devore is retiring at the end of May after a 39-year career as a grain merchandiser.
Cooperative weather has helped Illinois farmers achieve impressive winter wheat yields the past few seasons, but a retiring grain merchandiser said the yields are also a display of improved production.
May 21 was the last official Illinois Winter Wheat Tour for longtime group leader Dave Devore, who is retiring at the end of the month from Siemer Milling Co. in Teutopolis, where he has purchased wheat since 1995.
“When I first came in ’95, we didn’t have the fungicide we have now. We didn’t have the knowledge as far as nitrogen application amounts and timing of nitrogen to help the wheat crop,” he told FarmWeek.
“I’d have to go back and look for sure, but I want to say in 1995 the average state yield in Illinois was maybe around 60 (bushels per acre). And now we had 80 last year, which was a high, and a lot of 100-plus bushel yields all over the state.”
He said that has been good for Siemer Milling as they have not had to reach out as far to buy wheat coming into the facility.
“Farmers have been able to minimize their risk of quality and if you’ve got good quality, you’ve got good quantity, and the yields are going to be there,” Devore said.
He is staying busy in the final days of his career as farmers jump on a rally in prices.
“That’s another thing I think has changed: farmers’ confidence in selling ahead because they now know how to grow a better quality crop,” he said. “They’re not just selling for this year, but for 2025, and I even have a few contracts for June and July of 2026. So, they’re taking advantage of it, as they should.”
While scouting fields this year, Devore is concerned about how the wet spring could impact crop quality, noting he has seen more fusarium head blight this season. But there is still plenty of optimism for high yields.
“I wouldn’t have guessed that we would see as many 120-bushel yields as we did last year and I think we’ve been in fields this year that are very similar to what we saw last year,” he said.
“So, I think if disease doesn’t affect the yield, we’re looking at several 100-plus-bushel yields from what we’ve seen so far.”
He said warm weather could also push harvest five to seven days ahead of normal, and weather conditions over the next 10 days will be a determining factor on when farmers get their combines out.
“If we have more of these almost 90-degree days with the wind blowing then, yeah, it’s going to be sooner rather than later,” Devore said. “A lot of guys I’ve talked to think they’re going to be out here in three weeks, which puts you around the June 10 or 15 timeframe.”
• This story was distributed through a cooperative project between Illinois Farm Bureau and the Illinois Press Association. For more food and farming news, visit FarmWeekNow.com.
