Harvest Report, Day 2

This is day 2 of the Kansas Wheat Harvest Reports, brought to you by the Kansas Wheat Commission, Kansas Association of Wheat Growers and the Kansas Grain and Feed Association.

With the hot summer rays of sunshine and the constant Kansas wind, harvest is progressing quickly throughout central Kansas.

Steve Inslee, manager of the Ok Coop Grain Co. in Kiowa, reported that harvest started ramping up in the area last Thursday. As of Sunday evening the location had taken in around 400,000 bushels of wheat. This year’s harvest is looking similar to what was seen in the area last year with yields averaging about 50 bushels/acre and test weights holding steady at around 60-61 pounds/bushel. Inslee estimates that the brunt of harvest in the area will be completed by the end of the week.

Phil White, a farmer near Wellington, cut his first load of wheat on Saturday afternoon.

“Things are looking good for us, so far,” reported White. “With leaf and stripe rusts spotted in the area, we treated every wheat acre we had with fungicide, and most of our neighbors did, too. We’re glad we did because we have seen it really pay off in yield.”

White reported that the fields they have finished so far have averaged 58 bushels/acre with 60-61 pounds/bushel test weights. He has heard that yields and quality have been consistent across much of the county.

Jack Queen, manager of the Farmers Coop Elevator in Halstead, reported that yields are looking good in most spots, but Kansas weather had to put a damper on the area’s harvest.

“Most areas are looking really good,” said Queen. “We’re estimating an average of 60 bushels/acre for the most part, but that will be hit and miss depending on drowned out spots in some of the fields.”

Test weights for the area have ranged from 60-62 pounds per bushel, and he hopes that farmers will be able to get wheat out of the fields before Mother Nature decides to rain on farmers’ parades and lower the number.

“As long as we don’t have any more rain we could be done in a week,” said Queen. “But a rain event could extend our harvest out by another week, something that no one wants to see.”

The 2017 Harvest Report is brought to you by the Kansas Wheat Commission, Kansas Association of Wheat Growers and the Kansas Grain and Feed Association. For exclusive #wheatharvest17 content, please head to facebook.com/kansaswheat.