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Day 9, Kansas Wheat Harvest Report

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Guest Columnist
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Kansas Wheat

Editor’s Note: The next harvest report is scheduled to be published on July 12, 2023.

Contact: Marsha Boswell, [email protected]

For audio file, please visit kswheat.com.

This is day 9 of the Kansas Wheat Harvest Reports, brought to you by the Kansas Wheat Commission, Kansas Association of Wheat Growers, Kansas Grain and Feed Association and the Kansas Cooperative Council.

Harvest continues to plod along into the second week of July, and farmers who still have wheat left to cut are facing rain delays and hail, leading to a long, drawn-out wheat harvest.

From July 3 to July 9, there were only 4.1 days suitable for fieldwork, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) crop progress report for the week ending July 9, 2023. Harvest is now 59% complete, well behind 93% last year and 84% for the average.

Farmers are balancing a mix of emotions from frustration caused by having to wait for conditions to dry, stress of potential hail and other weather events, with joy from these recent rains.

Northwest of Hays, Eric Werth, General Manager at Golden Belt Coop acknowledges some of the struggles he has seen in Ellis county.

“We are really just waiting for it to dry out around here,” Werth says.

Werth speculates they are about 90% wrapped up with harvest for this year. Another stressor that Werth describes is the amount of weeds that the rain has brought with it.

After a late start on June 21, Werth reports that he is expecting probably 55% of the quantity they have gotten in years past. Yields are averaging around 30 bushels per acre, with some brighter spots getting up to 40 bushels per acre.

“That is definitely not the majority, though,” Werth says. “The [Westbred] Grainfield variety is one that seems to be doing well this year.”

Looking at test weights is encouraging for this area, though, seeing those come in around 62 pounds per bushel. However, proteins have been relatively low this year. He guesses they have taken in about 450,000 bushels so far. He said most of the wheat his elevator receives ends up at flour mills.

Seventeen miles west of the geographical center of the continental United States, Bruce Williams at Trinity Ag in Smith Center says his area has been subject to the rain delays as well.

“The thing that hurt us the most is we’ve basically cut very little since July 4th,” Williams noted. “There has been so much humidity.”

Williams said harvest began on June 24 this year, only four days off from when they usually start cutting, but after these recent rains, harvest has been slow to get back up and running. Having had big days on July 3 and 4, they have not had a single, full week of continuous cutting this harvest.

Initial drought stress caused some decent test weights in earlier loads to the elevator. Test weights were about 60-63 pounds per bushel, but these later storms have caused those numbers to dip into the 58 pound per bushel range. Proteins in the area have been as high as 12 to 14 percent. Yields have been all over the board, but even with farmers starting with their best fields, yields were only 35-40 bushels per acre. Many farmers have been abandoning their fields, as the weed pressure has been so intense. The kochia and pigweeds have been so dense that in some of the more extreme cases, you cannot even see the wheat as you drive past fields.

Along with the rain, northwest Kansas has been hit with hail storms. Fortunately, not much of the crop has been destroyed. Smith and Phillips counties are expecting to see more rain and storm chances in the upcoming week.

Elevators and farmers aren’t the only ones waiting for conditions to dry. Custom harvest crews like MJB Harvesting out of Grainfield, Kansas, are anxiously waiting to get out and begin harvesting. So far, MJB Harvesting has only been able to cut one field while in Kansas.

Mark Bosse, owner of MJB, shared that nearly all of their customers in Kansas have been affected by either hail or drought, or both. Fields that were going to be decent are now looking to only be 15-35 bushels per acre. The one field the MJB crew has been able to cut so far yielded about 35-40 bushels per acre. Several producers along the Gove and Lane county line will not even harvest their crop.

Composed of local people, high schoolers and J-1 visa employees, the MJB harvesting crew has been on the road since May 22. They started in Texas and will go all the way up into Montana. Although conditions were good in Texas, the wheat got bleak as they progressed north. Fortunately for them, crop conditions are looking up for areas north of Kansas, rounding out a very interesting wheat crop year.

Check back on July 12 as the Kansas Wheat crew continues to share results from the field with the next harvest report.

The 2023 Harvest Report is brought to you by the Kansas Wheat Commission, Kansas Association of Wheat Growers, Kansas Grain and Feed Association and the Kansas Cooperative Council. To follow along with harvest updates on Twitter, use #wheatharvest23. Tag us at @kansaswheat on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to share your harvest story and photos.

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Walnut caterpillars

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Guest Columnist
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I am getting questions on a caterpillar that loves walnut trees. Walnut caterpillar overwinter as pupae in ground beneath host trees. In late spring, moths emerge and deposit egg masses on lower leaf surfaces. During June and early July, emerged and gregarious larvae skeletonize leaves. Larger hairy brick-red colored larvae consume greater amounts of leaf tissues, and nearly matured gray colored larvae devour entire leaves including petioles.

When disturbed, larvae will arch their both ends of their bodies in what looks like a defensive move. Larvae will crowd together on the lower parts of trees to molt and leave an ugly patch of hairy cast skins. Mature larvae, which are 2 inches in length, descend or drop to the ground where they enter the soil to pupate. A second generation occurs soon thereafter giving rise to the overwintering pupae. Walnut caterpillar primarily feed on black walnut, pecan, and several species of hickory but may also attack birch, oak, willow, honeylocust and apple.

Literature cites the removal of leaves with egg masses as a means of controlling walnut caterpillar. This may prove impractical where large trees are involved or numbers of infested leaves are present. Bands of tree Tanglefoot could be used to ensnare larvae as they migrate to main branches or the tree trunk to molt. Chemical controls may provide the most practical means of control. Look for early signs of feeding on the ends of the branches. Larvae should be near by. The organic control spinosad is preferred and is found in Conserve; Monterey Garden Insect Spray, Natural Guard Spinosad and Captain Jack’s Dead Bug Brew. Sevin or any of the synthetic pyrethroids such as permethrin (Hi-Yield 38 Plus, Bonide Eight Vegetable, Fruit & Flower Concentrate; Hi-Yield Garden & Farm Insect Control) and cyfluthrin (BioAdvanced Vegetable & Garden Insect Spray) may also be used but will kill walnut caterpillar predators.

KU News: ‘Walk With Me’ tells stories of Black men’s resilience in face of twin pandemics

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Guest Columnist
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From the Office of Public Affairs | http://www.news.ku.edu

Headlines

Contact: Mike Krings, KU News Service, 785-864-8860, [email protected], @MikeKrings
‘Walk With Me’ tells stories of Black men’s resilience in face of twin pandemics

LAWRENCE — Birthdays are supposed to be a joyous occasion. But on March 13, 2020, as Matthew Kane might normally have been celebrating, he heard the news of the killing of Breonna Taylor by police in her apartment, and it was also the day the country largely shut down for the COVID-19 pandemic. Eight months later, the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol moved him to write about his reactions to the violence. The vulnerability of that writing inspired him to be unapologetically authentic in his doctoral dissertation, which then evolved into the new book “Walk With Me: Stories of Black Men’s Resilience and Well-being Through Twin Pandemics.”
Kane came to the University of Kansas in 2018 for a doctorate in counseling psychology. Initially interested in being a clinician more than a researcher, he knew he needed to have a topic for his dissertation. As the pandemic unfolded alongside events such as the murders of Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd, comedian Michael Che made a very serious comment that cemented the idea: There has always been a pandemic. One of social injustice, he said.
“That’s when it felt like the world slowed down and we were forced to reckon with this,” Kane said of the early days of the pandemic that coincided with violence. “I wanted to create a counternarrative to the stories that inaccurately depicted Black people as socially violent and victims of their own ineptitude when it came to COVID-19.”
That set the stage for “Walk With Me,” a book that blends interviews with six Black men of a wide range of ages who live across the country with research and theory in well-being, psychology, race, resilience and more. Kane’s narrative combines chapters that tell the stories of how Black men navigated the experience of the pandemic and ongoing unrest with all the frustrations, challenges and successes that entailed.
Each of the book’s chapters are themed and balance stories with tenets of academic research. Coming from a strengths perspective, or focusing on what is right and beneficial in a person while holding and contextualizing their difficulties, themes include superpowers, heuristics, well-being strategies and Black support and scrutiny. Just as comic books and movies are full of stories about reluctant heroes who are not sure they want to bear the responsibility of saving the day, the book’s subjects shared their own stories of being alchemists or how they had to turn dire situations into good ones.
“A lot of them didn’t want to be but felt like they had to be in that role,” Kane said of his subjects. “There were feelings of hopelessness and exhaustion. But I thought it was necessary to highlight them and how they persevered or pushed back.”
The book also examines how America’s history of racism and injustice manifested in new ways, including how states’ attempts to distribute vaccines were influenced by the history of redlining, then explores how the subjects navigated that experience and how they found safe spaces to process, laugh about, be mindful of what they went through and ultimately persevere.
While “Walk With Me” shares stories of everyday citizens, it also connects to research and literature in psychology, well-being and tenets of critical race theory, such as interest convergence, illustrated by how the subjects found an organization would display a Black Lives Matter sign when it became popular and beneficial for them to do so. But the stories are not weighted down with academic jargon, instead using real-life examples of research and theory at work.
“From the minute I got close to defending my dissertation, I felt I could make this into a book,” Kane said. “I wanted to make it as minimally esoteric as possible. I wanted to make it accessible, so I added more everyday examples to go with the academics.”
Brian Cole, associate professor of educational psychology and director of training in KU’s counseling psychology doctoral program in the School of Education & Human Sciences, said Kane hit the mark of accessibility balanced with academic value.
“’Walk with Me’ instantly draws you in with compelling stories, accessible research and powerful lyrics. Matt Kane shines a light on Black men’s resilience and well-being, two areas that are woefully underrepresented in the positive psychology and masculinities literature,” Cole said.
Kane’s work was also recognized by his peers, as the original manuscript, his dissertation, was recently selected for the American Psychological Association Society for the Psychological Study of Men and Masculinities Division 51 Loren Frankel Student Research Award, which is given annually to one student for outstanding dissertation work.
As he recently finished his doctorate, Kane is transitioning into a career in private therapy practice. After helping establish KU’s student-operated positive psychology clinic, that provided nearly 1,000 hours of counseling to people across the state in the early days of the pandemic, he’s now focusing on providing individual, couples and family therapy in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. He also hopes to continue teaching, lecturing and writing as well as updating editions of “Walk With Me.” For now, he hopes the book reaches young audiences, scholars and not just people already aligned with the pursuit of social justice, but anyone hoping to be an ally.
“’Walk with Me’ is a powerful, well-researched narrative on how Black men employed their power skills navigating the twin challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and social injustice,” said Ngondi Kamatuka, director of KU’s Center for Educational Opportunity Programs and assistant dean for diversity, equity & inclusion. “It is the binoculars through which to see and appreciate their humanity and resiliency.”
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KU News Service
1450 Jayhawk Blvd.
Lawrence KS 66045
Phone: 785-864-3256
Fax: 785-864-3339
[email protected]
http://www.news.ku.edu

Erinn Barcomb-Peterson, director of news and media relations, [email protected]

Today’s News is a free service from the Office of Public Affairs

Horticulture 2023 Newsletter No. 27

By
Ward Upham
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0
https://hnr.k-state.edu/extension/info-center/newsletters/index.html
Blog Post: http://www.ksuhortnewsletter.org
Video of the Week: Efficient Water Use in the Garden
https://kansashealthyyards.org/all-videos/video/efficient-water-use-in-the-garden
UPCOMING EVENTS

 

Kansas Turf & Ornamentals Field Day The Kansas Turf & Ornamentals Field Day will be held Thursday, August 3 at the K-State Research Center in Olathe (35230 W. 135th ). The field day program is designed for all segments of the turf & ornamentals industry – lawn care, athletic fields, golf courses, landscape, nursery, and grounds maintenance. Included on the program are research presentations, problem diagnosis, commercial exhibitors, and equipment displays. There will be time to see current research, talk to the experts and get answers to your questions. One hour of pesticide recertification credit in both 3A and 3B are available, as well as GCSAA education points. For a copy of the program and to register to attend, go to https://www.kansasturfgrassfoundation.com/ VEGETAB

One hour of pesticide recertification credit in both 3A and 3B are available, as well as GCSAA education points.
For more information, go to www.kansasturfgrassfoundation.com, or you can register online at https://2022turfday.eventbrite.com
REMINDERS
•           Water plants as needed.
•           Complete final pinching of chrysanthemums.
1. Check for live bagworms even if they were sprayed before and respray if needed.
VEGETABLES
Fall Gardening
            Probably the last thing most gardeners are thinking of now is planting vegetables. However, fall gardens will often produce higher quality, tastier cool-season crops as the vegetables mature during cooler, less stressful temperatures.
            Plant slightly deeper than you would in the spring so the seed stays cooler and the soil around the seed stays moist longer. Plant more thickly and thin later. The plants may need to be protected from rabbits through the use of fencing.
            Don’t worry about fertilizing before planting as there will be enough left over from the spring crops to provide for those grown in the fall.
            Following is a “calendar” of what to do when.
            Mid-July: Plant potatoes if you can find seed stock or have saved back seed potatoes.  Do not use freshly dug potatoes as they have a built-in dormancy that will prevent growth.  Also, grocery store potatoes are often treated so they don’t sprout.
Cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower can be started from seed at this time.  Choose a protected place where the soil can be kept moist and rabbits will not bother them.  This will not be where they will grow the entire season but these crops will be transplanted about mid-August.
            Late July: Seed beets, carrots and beans.
            Late July to Early August: Seed spinach and long-season maturing lettuce.  Leaf lettuce will be seeded later.
            Second Week of August: Transplant cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower to their final location.
            Mid to Late August: Seed radishes and leaf lettuce.
            No need to fertilize before planting.  Sidedress two weeks after transplanting or four weeks after sowing seed by applying 2 tablespoons of a 16-0-0 or 1 tablespoon of a 27-3-3, 30-3-4 fertilizer, or something similar per plant.  You may also use a liquid fertilizer such as Schultz, Peters, Miracle-Gro or Rapid Gro according to label directions.  It would be a good idea to wash off the leaves with clean water to prevent burn from the fertilizer.
            Watering must occur more frequently because seed should not be allowed to dry out. Overhead watering often causes soil to crust, making it more difficult for young, tender plants to emerge.  Prevent this by applying a light sprinkling of peat moss, vermiculite or compost directly over the row after seeding. Even better, use a soaker hose or drip irrigation right next to the row to allow water to slowly seep into the ground.  (Ward Upham)
Cross-Pollination
            It is a common misunderstanding that planting two different varieties of squash next to each other will affect the type of produce harvested that year. The fruit that results from this year’s planting is determined by the mother plant. If you have purchased from a reliable seed source, the resulting produce should reflect that. If you are harvesting “weird-looking” squash, cucumbers or melons this season it is likely a result of cross-pollination that happened last year. The seeds may have been gathered from cross-pollinated plants or perhaps the plant is one that sprouted on its own after a fruit with cross-pollinated seeds decomposed in the garden last growing season. (Cynthia Domenghini)
Blister Beetles
            Description: There are several varieties of blister beetles. Colors vary including solid black, black with a gray or cream-colored band, and grayish-brown with yellow stripes. The relatively soft body can be ½-inch to about one-inch in length. They have a broad head with a narrow neck-like structure attaching it to the rest of the body. The wings are soft and the mature adult has long legs. The antennae are about 1/3 the length of the body.
            Life Cycle: Adult blister beetles lay masses of eggs in the soil during late summer. When the larvae hatch, they search for nests of grasshopper eggs and begin feeding on them. Throughout several molts the larvae develop more prominent legs. The late-stage larvae are the most active and leave the grasshopper nest to pupate underground the following summer. The adult emerges 10 to 20 days later. There is one generation per year.
            Damage: Blister beetles feed primarily on flowers but will consume leaves as well. Though damage can defoliate a plant entirely, blister beetles can also be great natural predators against grasshoppers. The name blister beetle is derived from the oily substance the insect emits, cantharidin, that is toxic and can leave blisters on human skin if it comes in contact.
            Control: If removing manually, wear rubber gloves to protect the skin from blistering. If using chemical control for larger populations, permethrin (Bonide Eight and Hi-Yield Lawn, Garden and Farm Insect Control) is recommended. Permethrin has a 0-day waiting period for tomatoes. (Cynthia Domenghini)
FRUIT
Remove Suckers and Watersprouts on Fruit Trees
            Summer pruning should be done if your fruit trees develop suckers or watersprouts.  Trees that were heavily pruned in the spring will likely produce numerous suckers and watersprouts during the summer.  However some trees are just more likely to produce both types of growth even if not heavily pruned.
            Suckers are growth that arises from the base of the tree or from roots. Watersprouts are the growth that appears on major branches and grows straight up.  The included photo was taken during the dormant season to more easily identify the watersprouts.  This may have to be done several times during the summer.  It is important that these are removed during the growing season as removing them next spring will just encourage more watersprouts and suckers to appear. (Ward Upham)
PESTS
Japanese Beetles
            Description: Similar in appearance to other June bugs, the adult Japanese beetle is 3/8 to ¼-inch long with a shiny, metallic-green head. The body has bronze wing covers and five clumps of hair that border the sides of the abdomen. The larvae are cream-colored grubs with a light brown head about 1 ¼-inch long at maturity.
            Life Cycle: Adult female Japanese beetles lay eggs in July beneath wet lawns. Upon hatching, larvae feed on the sod roots and overwinter until the following summer. In June, the larvae pupate and adult beetles emerge to feed above-ground.
            Damage: An extremely destructive pest, Japanese beetles feed on every part of the plant. The beetles skeletonize leaves and consume flowers and fruit entirely. Hundreds of varieties of plants can play host to this non-selective pest.
            Control: Controlling Japanese beetles is a challenge this time of year as new adult beetles emerge from underground daily over several weeks. In small quantities, beetles can be manually removed from plants and dropped into a bucket of soapy water. Check plants daily to look for symptoms of this pest. Mornings are the best time to observe as beetles are slower and easier to catch.
            There are many traps available that lure Japanese beetles into a container where the pests can be gathered and disposed of. However, some sources caution against using traps as the pheromones used to attract the beetles can draw in even more beetles than would naturally appear. Not all of these beetles may end up in the traps and the result could be greater damage to the plants.
            Insecticides such as cyfluthrin (Tempo), bifenthrin (Hi-Yield Bug Blaster II) and cyhalothrin (Bonide Beetle Killer, Spectracide Bug Stop Indoor + Outdoor Insect Killer, Spectracide Triazicide, Bonide Caterpillar Killer) can be used for Japanese beetle control with about two to three weeks protection. Carbaryl (Sevin dust) can also be effective but only for about one to two weeks. The downside of using such products is they will also eliminate parasitoids and other natural predators.
            Neem products (Natural Guard Neem-Py, Fertilome Triple Action Plus) and Pyola (pyrethrins in canola oil) can offer control for three to four days.   (Cynthia Domenghini)
Budworms on Garden Plants
            Description: Budworms can be brown, purple, red or green depending on the host plant it’s consuming. It has white stripes on the abdomen that run the length of the 1 ¾-inch body. There are hairs on the body as well. Adult moths are greenish-brown with a wingspan of about 1 ¼-inches.
            Life Cycle: There are two generations of budworms each year with the second generation typically being the more destructive. They can overwinter as pupae several inches beneath the soil surface during mild winters outdoors or in container plants that are brought indoors as well as in the soil of protected patios.
            Damage: Budworms are common on petunias, geraniums, nicotiana, roses and other ornamentals. The larvae bore a hole through the flower buds and feed on the petals. Buds may drop prematurely or, if not, the resulting bloom will show damage from the feeding. Larvae also drop black feces on the buds.
            Control: Manual removal can be effective if plants are monitored regularly. Winters with temperatures that drop below 20 degrees F can kill overwintering pupae if they are not in protected environments.
            Chemical controls such as permethrin (Bonide Eight and Hi-Yield Lawn, Garden and Farm Insect Control), esfenvalerate (Asana, Bug Buster II), bifenthrin (Hi-Yield Bug Blaster Bifenthrin) or gamma-cyhalothrin (Spectracide Triazicide). Products with the organic active ingredient Spinosad (Natural Guard Spinosad, Captain Jack’s Dead Bug Brew, Monterey Garden Insect Spray) may also be effective.  (Cynthia Domenghini)
MISCELLANEOUS
Gardening in a Heat Wave
            The heat is on and some simple gardening practices can protect your plants from suffering. It is tempting to automatically water plants on hot afternoons, but this is not always what’s best. On average, vegetables gardens need about one-inch of water per week. During a heat wave (above 90 degrees F) it may be necessary to water daily or every other day. Before adding water to your garden insert your finger one to two inches into the soil and check for moisture. If the soil is wet, hold off watering.
            In advance of a heat wave consider adding several inches of straw mulch around your plants. This will help reduce evaporation from the soil and will regulate the soil temperature keeping plant roots cooler.
            Make sure the plants are well-watered prior to the heat wave. Water as early as possible in the morning to reduce the amount of evaporation and prevent plants from drying out. Drip irrigation is ideal, but regardless of the method, avoid watering the leaves. Keep the source of water as close to the soil as possible. If you’re using sprinklers, opt for the type that keep the water spray closer to the ground to minimize evaporation.  (Cynthia Domenghini)
Contributors:
Cynthia Domenghini, Instructor ([email protected])
Ward Upham, Extension Associate ([email protected])
Division of Horticulture
1712 Claflin, 2021 Throckmorton
Manhattan, KS 66506
(785) 532-6173
For questions or further information, contact: [email protected] OR [email protected]
This newsletter is also available on the World Wide Web at: http://hnr.k-state.edu/extension/info-center/newsletters/index.html
The web version includes color images that illustrate subjects discussed. To subscribe to this newsletter electronically, send an e-mail message to [email protected] or [email protected] listing your e-mail address in the message.
Brand names appearing in this newsletter are for product identification purposes only. No endorsement is intended, nor is criticism implied of similar products not mentioned.
K-State Research and Extension is committed to making its services, activities and programs accessible to all participants. If you have special requirements due to a physical, vision or hearing disability, or a dietary restriction please contact Extension Horticulture at (785) 532-6173.
Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service K-State Research and Extension is an equal opportunity employer.  Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension Work, Acts of  May 8 and June 30, 1914, as amended. Kansas State University, County Extension Councils, and United States Department of Agriculture
Cooperating, Ernie Minton, Dean.

Wheat Scoop: Wheat harvest 2023 progresses despite delays and late start

By
Guest Columnist
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0
Kansas Wheat

Contact: Marsha Boswell, [email protected]

 

For audio version, visit kswheat.com.

Kansas wheat harvest is 46% complete, well behind 80% last year, and behind 63% for the five-year average, according to the official statistics provided by the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service in its crop progress report for the week ending July 2, 2023. Winter wheat conditions rated 51% very poor to poor, 33% fair and 16% good to excellent.

“This wheat crop will be remembered for facing challenges from start to finish with the final Kansas total production being the lowest in decades,” Kansas Wheat CEO, Justin Gilpin said. “After two years of drought, it is good to finally get some relief, it just came at the wrong time in many places for this year’s wheat crop. These challenges that have been plaguing the 2023 wheat crop highlight the need for access to advanced technologies in wheat production and management.”

Hot temperatures through July 4th meant farmers were in the fields ahead of the widespread showers that moved in on the evening of the July 4th holiday.
In Ness County at the D.E. Bondurant Grain Company, Gary Gantz said during the 4th of July weekend, several producers were cutting wheat. Friday and Saturday were particularly busy days, especially for the Riverside location. Gantz predicted harvest will continue into late July.

Gantz stated farmers in the area who had not terminated their wheat were seeing slightly better yields than what they had initially thought. Yields ranged from 25 to 35 bushels per acre, with decent test weights and high proteins in the 12.5 to 14 percent range.

Last year, during the 2022 wheat harvest, which was another dry year for the Kansas wheat crop, Gantz recalled they only received about 50% of their normal amount of wheat. With the already dry conditions following 2022, the 2023 crop was off to less than ideal conditions that continued into harvest. This harvest, the elevator is seeing a mere 25% of normal wheat quantity. About 40-50% of the planted 2023 wheat crop in the area was abandoned. Although this wheat crop was very disappointing, with these late rains, Gantz noted the elevator remains optimistic for currently growing fall crops. One such rain event brought as much as three inches of rain.

Derek Sawyer, a Kansas Wheat Commission board member located in McPherson County, reports that he wrapped up his 2023 wheat harvest on July 1st, having started on June 15th. He adds that 85-90% of his county has also finished their harvest for this year.

“I had some really bad double crop that averaged 20 bushels per acre,” Sawyer said, noting his overall crop average was 48 bushels per acre.
An outstanding variety for Sawyer was WestBred 4699. His protein was 14 percent, with test weights in the 58-60 pound range, just slightly below average. There was very little abandonment in the area, about 5-10%, due to the challenges of the spring freeze and hail. In addition to freeze damage and hail being an issue, thin wheat stands caused weed pressure to be more prevalent.

Kendall Poland, of the Sublette Co-op in Haskell County, said harvest has just really gotten started. Only one of his farmers has been able to get into the fields after these recent rains. The wheat crop is shaping up to be very minimal so far – almost 95% of dryland wheat acres were abandoned in the area. With wheat harvest only having just begun on Tuesday, June 27, and more rain in the forecast, wheat harvest might extend much further into the calendar than what anyone is used to.

Despite the slow start to harvest, Poland remarked how much of a blessing these rains have been to this parched area of Kansas. Hailstorms have torn through the area causing damage to corn and cotton acres. Although the hail wasn’t large, there was a lot of it.
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