STARKVILLE, Miss. — Exceptionally dry weather since August has kept Mississippi wheat farmers out of their fields, according to agriculture experts at the Mississippi State University Extension Service.

Farmers are expected to plant as much as 200,000 acres of wheat this year, but very little has been planted as of last month because of the drought. Wheat is generally planted from mid-October through November and harvested in May and June.

This year’s long, dry summer has prevented nearly all wheat planting except for wildlife food plots, forage and some acres in the most northeastern counties. Recent rains have replenished soil moisture. The extension service says in a news release that producers need a few weeks of dry weather to get the wheat crop in the ground.

“The slow rain replenished soil moisture,” said Erick Larson, a grain crops agronomist with the extension service. “The biggest issue with wheat planting is that our rainfall patterns in November get more frequent, and as temperatures cool, the fields don’t dry out as quickly. If we get a little dry weather, we should see a lot of planting done soon. If rains continue to keep soils wet through November, it will substantially restrict Mississippi wheat acreage.”

Don Respess, Extension coordinator in Coahoma County, estimated that one-third of the anticipated wheat acreage in his county has been planted and the majority of that has emerged.

“Some producers planted in the dust, and that paid off with the good rain we had,” Respess said. “We were waiting on moisture, and now we have too much.”

Respess said one day of warm weather and sunshine should be all that’s needed to dry the soil enough for producers to begin planting the wheat acreage that remains.

Brian Williams, Extension agricultural economist, said wheat prices are very similar to prices a year ago. Greenville wheat is selling for $4.76 a bushel, while December futures are trading at $5.16 a bushel.

“There doesn’t seem to be much upside potential for wheat prices at the moment,” Williams said. “While the U.S. harvest was smaller this year, global production has been exceptional, leading to very large global wheat stocks.