News

Reports of Soilborne Wheat Mosaic Virus are on the rise in north-central Idaho. The virus and yield-reducing disease it causes were first found in Idaho in 2023, in Nez Perce County. This disease has likely gone undetected for a number of years due to symptoms resembling other diseases or disorders in wheat such as nitrogen deficiency.

Although Idaho has had some windy conditions and subfreezing temperatures, it has not slowed the momentum of field work. Farmers have been able to start work in their fields earlier than they have in recent years, and spring planting is looking good so far. “Spring planting of cereal grains is going all full-steam,” said University of Idaho Nez Perce County Extension agent Doug Finkelnburg.

There is a pressing issue of rapidly evolving herbicide-resistant weed populations that pose a threat to crop production sustainability for Idaho wheat farmers. With promised improvements made by The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), farmers will have more options for controlling weed populations more effectively.

Idaho wheat farmers have planted about 1.16 million acres of wheat this year, just a slight decrease from last year's 1.17 million acres. Assuming normal weather as the winter wheat crop progresses and spring wheat crops are seeded, wheat futures could feel a downward tug in early summer. While analysts expect wheat price weakness this summer, the near-term outlook is described as less bearish.

The agricultural community is increasingly worried about the profound mental health issues affecting its producers. This highlights the crucial need to tackle stressors and create a dependable support system with trusted advisors. There are many unknowns in agrculture that can cause stress for Idaho farmers. Experts identify these potential stress areas as production risk, financial risk, legal risk, and human risk.