The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

WAITSBURG - Farmers in the Touchet Valley are predicting their harvest this year will be at least a week later than usual with fields in the Prescott and Waitsburg areas ready by the third week of July and in Dayton by early August.

"Almost every farmer coming in says they'll be seven to ten days late," said Matt Weber, an agronomist with the McGregor Co.'s Waitsburg branch, which supplies them with farm chemicals.

Concerned at first with the possible spread of rust, growers now welcome the somewhat cooler June temperatures that allow the heads of the wheat plants to mature more slowly and fully, promising a strong 2011 yield.

"The heads are bigger this year," Weber said. "The kernels are really filling out."

It's still a bit soon to predict exactly when harvest will start. Normally, Northwest Grain Growers members begin between July 6 and July 10 in the northwest part of Walla Walla County, rolling slowly east from Eureka towards Dayton, said Dave Gordon, the cooperative's general manager.

"We're probably going to be about five to ten days behind," Gordon said, about the progressive eastbound harvest that takes a month to 40 days to complete. "Normally, a later harvest means a better yield."

Crops in the Touchet Valley consist for about 70 percent of winter wheat, 20 percent spring wheat and 10 percent legumes, such as garbanzo beans and dry peas. Spring wheat is late but that too bodes well for yields.

Beans and peas look good as well, "blooming nicely," Weber said.

Concerns about rust still remain, but because most farmers took action early, the largely have the problem under control.

"It's hard to tell until harvest starts," Weber said. "We haven't had much moisture lately and that will help stop the spread."

Still, some fields may lose as much as 15 percent to the fungus from its proliferation during the wet weather this spring.

Despite that, 2011 looks it will be another strong harvest overall, Gordon said.

" We're jus t get t ing psyched up," he said.