June 25, 2008

Kansas wheat harvest shows good quality and high yields

Solid quality and yields have been reported in areas where harvesting is underway in the state, according to a report from Kansas Wheat, a producers' group.

In Wellington, in southern Kansas, farmers "continue to fight mud," as the struggle through soggy fields to harvest wheat continues, Curt Guinn, manager of Farmers Co-op Grain Association, said in the report.

The co-op has taken in about 500,000 bushels of wheat, with test weights around 58 pounds per bushel and protein averaging about 11.5 percent, he said.

The Farmers Co-op Grain Company in Abbyville, in central Kansas, has taken in about 190,000 bushels, General Manager Steve Inslee said in the report. Test weights average about 60 pounds, and yields are averaging 40 to 50 bushels per acre, he said.

In central Kansas, harvest is getting into full swing, said Katie Hanneke of Pawnee County Co-op Association. The co-op had taken in about 300,000 bushels as of Monday afternoon, with test weights ranging from 58 to 62 pounds per bushel and yields as high as the mid-60s.

Yields exceeding 30 bushels per acre in Syracuse and Kendall have been "surprising given the region's limited precipitation since planting last fall," the report said. Harvest in the area started last week but has been slowed by precipitation.

Kansas Wheat Commissioner Scott Van Allen said the Jagger variety has had the lowest test weight and yield while OK Bullet and Fuller are faring better, he said.

A rain shower Sunday night stopped progress in its tracks around LeRoy. The harvest began gathering steam last week, according to the report.