(04/20/26) WINNSBORO, La. — Between freeze damage, disease pressure and low commodity prices, wheat farmers in Louisiana are having a tough time in 2026.

“This year has not been very nice to us,” said Boyd Padgett, LSU AgCenter wheat specialist.

The state’s 12,000 acres of wheat were dealt major setbacks by a pair of late-season freezes in February and March — a vulnerable stage for the crop, which by then had already begun to form grain heads.

“Everything was rocking and rolling,” Padgett said. “It was looking good, and then come St. Patrick’s Day, we got hammered.”

While the damage is apparent, its effect on yield won’t be clear until combines enter fields in the coming weeks. Padgett is sure, however, that this year’s harvest will bring disappointment for many.

“A lot of the heads, you can grab them, and they feel like a sponge,” he said. “It’s kind of depressing. We have a crop that we’re probably going to sustain significant yield losses. Prices are down. You can’t cash flow it even with good yields, so we’ll see what happens. It’s not good.”

On top of those problems is an outbreak of a disease called leaf rust. Padgett said he hasn’t seen it this bad in decades.

“The severity of leaf rust is tremendous,” he said.

Despite the difficulties 2026 is throwing at growers, there are a couple of bright sides: Incidence of fusarium head blight, a disease commonly known as scab that has long been a concern, is down. And all of the challenges are providing valuable data to AgCenter scientists about management strategies as well as which varieties can stand up to weather extremes, diseases and other crop stressors.

“It’s horrible for a producer, but for a breeder, it’s great,” said AgCenter small grains breeder Noah DeWitt. “When you have 800 lines and you have to figure out which one or two of those is going to be a variety in five years, it’s fantastic pressure for that.”

At an April 16 field day at the AgCenter Macon Ridge Research Station, visitors got to see some of the many experimental lines being evaluated for possible release alongside commercially available varieties. Some of the test plots were filled with wheat plants that were green and healthy. Others — including some that DeWitt once had considered frontrunners for release as varieties — were brown as a result of freeze damage.

“Even a lot of stuff that typically we wouldn’t expect to see freeze damage on, this year, you did get it,” DeWitt said, adding that the unusual weather event has helped him decide which lines to cull and which ones to advance in the breeding program.

Wheat must vernalize, or spend a certain amount of time between 40 F and 50 F, to produce grain. Some varieties have lower vernalization requirements than others. Most varieties grown in Louisiana have a four-to-six-week vernalization period, DeWitt said, while those common in the Midwest need eight weeks.

Those low-vernalization varieties are ideal for years with the mild winters Louisiana often experiences — but because they mature earlier, they’re also more susceptible to damage if a late freeze strikes, DeWitt said. The breeding program is striving to identify lines that pair low vernalization requirements with delayed heading to mitigate freeze risks.

The field day also showcased oat variety development. One of the AgCenter’s previous oat variety releases is a top choice for deer food plots — which supports hunting, an important economic driver in the South, said AgCenter breeder Steve Harrison.

The AgCenter’s oat and wheat breeding efforts are part of SunGrains, a cooperative research program that brings together the expertise of seven universities.

“It gives us the kind of scale we need to run a really effective breeding program for the southeast United States as a whole,” DeWitt said.

Other stops on the field tour covered:

— Cover crops, which can improve soil health and prevent erosion. AgCenter agronomist Anna Orfanou discussed a study examining how planting date of rye cover crops affects biomass and emergence of subsequently planted corn. Only about 3.2% of Louisiana cropland uses cover crops, Orfanou said, a figure that ranks near the bottom of the nation. AgCenter irrigation agronomist Dimitrious Pavlou spoke about his research on cover crops’ effects on soil moisture and cash crop emergence. AgCenter agent James Hendrix reviewed cover crop options, urging attendees to start small and try several crops before committing to a strategy.

— Triticale, a wheat-rye hybrid that has potential as a cover crop in Louisiana. DeWitt and Harrison showed plots of triticale lines they’ve developed and are considering for release.

— Liming. AgCenter agronomist Leandro Vieira talked about a long-running study investigating how applying lime to corn fields affects nutrient availability.

— Drones. AgCenter precision agriculture specialist Tri Setiyono demonstrated two types of drones and explained how they can be used to monitor plant height, pest issues and more.

LSU AgCenter small grains breeder Steve Harrison, second from left, leads attendees of a wheat, oat and cover crop field day at the AgCenter Macon Ridge Research Station on a tour of wheat and triticale test plots April 16. Photo by Olivia McClure/LSU AgCenter

Brown, freeze-damaged wheat stands next to green, healthy wheat at the LSU AgCenter Macon Ridge Research Station April 16. Photo by Olivia McClure/LSU AgCenter

Wheat affected by leaf rust disease is seen at the LSU AgCenter Macon Ridge Research Station during a field day April 16. Photo by Olivia McClure/LSU AgCenter

LSU AgCenter small grains breeder Noah DeWitt speaks during a wheat, oat and cover crop field day at the Macon Ridge Research Station April 16. Photo by Olivia McClure/LSU AgCenter

LSU AgCenter plant pathologist Trey Price, left, looks on as AgCenter wheat specialist Boyd Padgett speaks during a wheat, oat and cover crop field day at the AgCenter Macon Ridge Research Station April 16. Photo by Olivia McClure/LSU AgCenter

LSU AgCenter precision agriculture specialist Tri Setiyono used a drone to take this photo during a wheat, oat and cover crop field day at the AgCenter Macon Ridge Research Station April 16. Photo by Tri Setiyono/LSU AgCenter