IDAHO WHEAT COMMISSION

News

Clear Skies, Chem Trails, and Confusion about Cloud Seeding

Earlier this week, you probably received a call to action from the Idaho Grain Producers Association (IGPA) through text, email, or social media urging you to contact your legislators and voice support for cloud seeding.  Like most things relating to science and agriculture, a trove of false claims and misinformation exists around this important practice.  The Wheat Commission has been tasked  by wheat growers to provide farmers with useful information to help support IGPA’s advisory and advocacy efforts.  In the video here, college freshman Jaycee Fuller explains cloud seeding in Idaho in simple terms and squashes some of the myths, misconceptions, and misinformation about the process and the benefits.

April 7, 2026
Changing diets and demographics creating new opportunities for U.S. wheat
Rising incomes, growing populations, and rapid industrialization is creating increased demand for wheat foods around the world.
April 7, 2026
Idaho ag economic impact hits records
The economic impact of agriculture in Idaho reached $44.5 billion in sales, 17.2% of the state’s total economic output.
April 7, 2026
What is the Most Important Asset on the Farm?
How much time do you spend making sure your equipment is properly maintained? From combines and drills to pickups and silos, the farm has spent a lot of money and you probably have a “correct” way to take care of the tools you’ve invested in. But what is the most important asset on the farm? Quick answer: you and the people around you. Do you allocate as much time and attention on those assets? Probably not.
April 7, 2026
ALERT: Warm Weather Threatens Wheat with Yield Loss
The warm winter weather throughout the state has experts concerned about increased fungal diseases creeping into fields and causing yield loss. Xianming Chen, USDA stripe rust expert in the PNW, is warning farmers to start checking their fields. Chen is predicting that stripe rust will be more widespread and extreme this year than in the past 15 years. The last particularly bad year for stripe rust was in 2011. Experts from the U.S. Wheat and Barley Scab Initiative are also warning about fusarium head blight and vomitoxin (DON) in winter wheat. USWBSI is reminding farmers that the best time to apply fungicides for FHB and DON management is at Feekes growth stage 10.51, when 50% of the main tillers have reached early anthesis (flowering) and up to seven (7) days following.
April 7, 2026
Impacts from Iran on Idaho Wheat Inputs
In the two weeks since the February 28 U.S. strikes on Iran, there have been jolts to the global economy. The most obvious adjustment for the majority of Americans will be at the gas pump as oil is manipulated and used as collateral. Beyond fuel, the current unrest in Iran has already started to punch agriculture in the gut in Idaho and across the country.