Wheat Tour 2026, Day 2

On Wednesday, about 60 people from 16 U.S. states and three countries made their way from Colby to Wichita, Kansas, stopping in wheat fields along six different routes. They were joined in Wichita by local farmers.

Wednesday’s wheat tour scouts made 117 stops at wheat fields across western, central and southern Kansas, and into northern counties in Oklahoma.

The calculated yield from all cars was 39.3 bushels per acre. Scouts were able to use the late season formula provided by USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, which includes counting wheat heads, number of spikelets and kernels per spikelet. The yield formula doesn’t take disease, pests or weed pressure into consideration.

Romulo Lollato, Kansas State University agronomist, said the first two days of the wheat tour painted a difficult picture across much of western and southern Kansas, where drought, freeze damage and wheat streak mosaic virus combined to sharply reduce yield potential and increase the likelihood of abandonment. Tour participants observed fields ranging from short, drought-stressed wheat with only five to 10 bushels per acre potential to stronger fields following fallow ground that still seemed capable of producing more bushels, likely in the 30-40 bushels range. Lollato noted that many producers are facing difficult harvest decisions as stressed wheat rapidly matures under hot, dry conditions. “The combination of drought, freeze damage and wheat streak mosaic virus created some of the toughest conditions we have seen in years,” Lollato said.

Gary Millershaski, a farmer from southwest Kansas and Vice Chairman of U.S. Wheat Associates, addressed the group and talked about exports, welcoming the USW guests from Mexico and South America.

Dennis Schoenhals from Oklahoma Wheat Growers Association reported that USDA-NASS estimated the state’s production at 64.4 million bushels this year. USDA/NASS estimates the Oklahoma crop will yield 23 bushels per acre, compared to 39 last year. Harvested acres are estimated at 2.3 million acres. Minimal moisture during green-up, unprecedented temperature swings and hail damage have had a negative impact on Oklahoma’s 2026 crop. Combines are beginning to roll in Southern Oklahoma this week.  

Wheat Tour 26 continues Thursday with six routes between Wichita and Manhattan. Follow along with the tour at #wheattour26. A final production estimate will be announced Thursday afternoon.

###