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Hard Winter Wheat Crop Tour

Tour Explanation

Tour Explanation | Day One Report | Day Two Report | Final Estimate News Release

Following is a description of the orientation crop scouts encountered before embarking on the tour May 6, 2008

The 51st Annual Hard Winter Wheat Tour coordinated by the Wheat Quality Council opened May 5 in Manhattan,  Kansas.

The Wheat Quality Council is founded on the idea of finding  improvement in soft red and hard red winter wheat varieties. Millers and  bakers use the council for application purposes and to gain feedback on  various aspects of the wheat varieties. Originally, the crop tour was a field  day event, used as a chance to take customers out in the fields and introduce  them to the growth cycle of wheat and the progress of the crop. It has now  evolved into the present-day estimations of how many bushels this year's  harvest will produce.

The three basic goals of the wheat tour are as follows:

  • Provide interaction for all sectors of agribusiness,  accomplished through all members of the tour eating dinner together at the  end of the day and the switching of participants who ride in the car on a  daily basis.  
  • Define crop prospects of up to 90% of the wheat  areas in Kansas by using Kansas agricultural statistics based on the past  year's data.
  • Provide general exposure to the state of Kansas.   

All  participants arrived and received car assignments for the next day's wheat  evaluation. Orientation was comprised of the introduction of coordinators  and all participants and a basic overview of what the crop tour is based on.   Participants were reminded that this tour is only a snapshot of what  is observed on these three days of the tour.

In testing Kansas and area wheat fields for yield evaluation, these are the major steps involved.

  • Enter the field at representative area.   
  • Count the number of stalks per foot in at least five random locations and calculate an average number of stalks per foot for the selected field.  
  • Count all stalks, regardless of stage of formation.   
  • Use the formula given based on 1997-2006 Kansas wheat objective yield data to estimate the number of heads.  
  • Select the formula that represents the area of the state where counts are being made.  
  • Measure the distance in inches between the rows.   
  • For average weight per head use the average given for the region of the state where observations are made.  
  • Enter findings into the yield formula given.   
  • Enter observations and calculation estimates onto observation sheet.  
  • Observations are just as important as factual data.  Other factors only you can observe. It also does not take into account harvesting loss, which generally averages about 1.5 bushels per acre.

Jim Shroyer, an Agronomist with Kansas State University, told the group to expect to see erratic stands with dark green and light green wheat in the same field with the light green wheat a result of late planting because of rain delays. The dark green wheat will have been planted before the rain delay. The wheat planted earlier should look good, Shroyer said. He also said there could be planting skips.  Wheat further out west will look smaller and smaller, he said.

As far as disease, the crop looks pretty good according to Shroyer.  The group was told to look for powdery mildew, which thrives on cooler weather and moisture. Some yellow barley dwarf could be seen also. 

Some blue wheat could be seen in the Tribune area south to the border, Shroyer said, as the result of dry weather.

The group was also told to be on the lookout for leaf rust and tan spot.

It was also mentioned that overall the wheat will be smaller than usual.

Some light green wheat as the result of nitrogen deficiency could be seen in the Stafford and Pawnee areas, according to Shroyer.

Participants were divided into groups of three to six people with 14 cars  assigned to different routes with the intent of arriving in Colby, Kansas by  5:00 p.m. the next day.

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