"The rain has had a very positive impact. It refilled the subsoil moisture, which we have needed since last summer," said Roger Gribble, northwest area agronomist for the Oklahoma State University Extension Service.
Garfield County area had excellent grain yields last year, Gribble said, which used a lot of that moisture.
As a result, the area entered fall short on subsoil moisture but has been fortunate to receive some spotty rains that kept the wheat going. Big rains recently filled up the soil moisture profile.
Since the first of September the area has received about average rainfall, Gribble said.
"More rain wouldn't hurt anything but we don't need another 6-incher," he said.
There is a negative effect to the rainfall, however.
Two diseases being experienced in the area were splashed onto wheat plants by the rain, Gribble said. A fungus is affecting older leaves, while some new leaves are turning yellow.
The diseases Gribble is concerned about are septoria leaf spot and tan spot.
"As temperatures warm up, we outgrow that disease, so I'm not too concerned. But as long as we stay in the 50- to 60-degree range it can cause problems. But it wouldn't be there if it hadn't rained," he said. "There is both a positive and a negative side, and the positives outweigh the negative."
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