February’s winter weather had a big impact on Illinois’ winter wheat crop.
The USDA says 46% of the crop is in good to excellent, down 19% from the end of January, with 51% now rated fair, a jump of 27%, and 3% called poor to very poor, a decline of 8%.
Winterkill could be an issue in parts of the state because of a lack of snow cover, but the extent of the damage won’t be known until the crop emerges from dormancy.
