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Hard Winter Wheat Crop Tour

Day Two Report - Released May 7, 2008

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

Shelia A. Summers, Vice President of Marketing at the KCBT, filed the following report for Day Two of the tour, May 7.

Six different routes were toured the second day, resulting in six major estimates of wheat yields:

The 51st Annual Hard Winter Wheat Evaluation Tour sponsored by the Wheat Quality Council departed on Wednesday, May 7 for the second day of observations of wheat production estimates in the state of Kansas and into the northern parts of Oklahoma.

The final estimate for day 2 of the tour was 40.9 bushels per acre, based off of 166 stops throughout the day. This compares to last year's day two estimate of 43.2 bushels per acre, based off of 208 stops throughout the day. After two days of observations by tour participants, the average now stands at 43.3 bushels per acre based on 356 stops compared to last year: 41.6 bushels per acre, based on 417 total stops.

Overall the wheat was good in observation, with few disease problems noted. Many areas had wheat that was better than expected.

The tour departed out of Colby, KS Wednesday morning, and traveled a total of six different routes, meeting later that evening in Wichita, KS to discuss tour averages and what participants saw throughout the day.


*Area 1 (Kansas) Green
Counties: Thomas, Logan, Wichita, Kearney, Finney, Ford, Hodgeman, Pawnee, Stafford, Pratt, Reno, Kingman, Sedgwick

Only one car took the green route today.  The group said that the wheat looked pretty good and that they did not see any disease with the exception of some powdery mildew between Pratt and Wichita.

Yield estimates averaged 45 bushels per acre. Last year the green route averaged 42.7 bushels per acre on the second day of the tour.

*Area 2 (Kansas) Black
Counties: Thomas, Sheridan, Gove, Lane, Finney, Hodgeman, Ford, Edwards, Stafford, Pratt, Kingman, Sedgwic

There was little disease or weed pressure in this area and the wheat looked good, according to the first group. The second group saw a field with frost damage and was able to talk to the owner of the field. He said they had two consecutive nights of 26 degree weather in that field. Five fields had been turned over to grazing in the area covered.  Harvest was projected to start in the range of June 20-27.  Overall, stands were better than expected.

Overall calculated yields averaged at 42 bushels per acre, compared to a 38.5 average last year. The range in estimates covered 18 bushels per acre to 88 bushels per acre. 

*Area 3 (Kansas) Purple
Counties: Thomas, Logan, Scott, Lane, Ness, Rush, Barton, Rice, Reno, Kingman, Sedgwick

Variability in emergence and height was seen with harvest expected in 60 to 70 days north of Ness City and 45 to 50 days south of there, the group said. There was a little tan spot and some wheat streak but neither were of concern. 

Overall calculated yields indicated 41 bushels per acre compared to 41 last year. Estimates ranged from 26 to 70 bushels per acre.

*Area 4 (Kansas) Pink
Counties: Thomas, Sherman, Wallace, Greeley, Hamilton, Kearney, Finney, Gray, Ford, Kiowa, Pratt, Kingman, Sedgwick

One group of the four groups who took this route reported that one field in Syracuse would be abandoned (in their opinion) and therefore calculated that yield as zero.  The further south the group traveled, the better the wheat looked. The highest yield, 72 bushels per acre, was reported in Kiowa County. It was estimated that harvest was 35 to 60 days out.  There were few poor fields with some wheat streak mosaic also reported.  But overall there was little disease. Two groups reported the lowest production fields they saw were in Wallace County.

Calculated yields included a low of 0 bushels per acre and a high of 72 bushels per acre, with an average of 35 bushels per acre compared to 46.1 bushels per acre last year.

*Area 5 (Kansas) Blue
Counties: Thomas, Logan, Scott, Finney, Haskell, Seward, Meade, Clark, Comanche, Barber, Harper, Sumner, Sedgwick

The wheat was better than expected on this route.  There was quite a range in maturity as north of Garden City, the wheat was not yet in the boot stage but south of there, it was fully emerged.  Not much disease was seen.  Some drought stress was reported in some fields, with thin stands.  One car reported that east of Sublette the wheat fields were thicker. Some fields were sprayed with fungicide.  

Ranges on this route averaged from 21 bushels per acre to 79, with an average of 38 bushels per acre, compared to 42.6 bushels per acre last year.

*Area 6 (Kansas and Oklahoma) Yellow
Counties: Thomas, Gove, Lane, Finney, Gray, Meade, Clark, Beaver, Harper, Woods, Alfalfa, Grant, Sumner, Sedgwick

Participants on the yellow route traveled south of Colby down to Oklahoma, back into south central Kansas. Little disease was seen with moisture viewed as adequate.  The groups said that the fields were better than expected with several fields yielding 90 bushels per acre or larger. Some of that could be due to volunteer wheat in the fields, it was determined. Whether or not that wheat would come to maturity was questioned.  

A Harper County producer was at the meeting and said that most of the crop was planted on time. In the winter there would be one day of growing and then two days of cold, he said. Some weed pressure was evident, he said, and mentioned mustard and tanspot.  The crop height was relatively short, with the crop heading the last three to five days. He estimated one in four fields had volunteer plants.

A producer from Sedgwick County said that a lot of fungicide had been applied in the area.

Calculated yields included a low of 19 bushels per acre and a high of 108 bushels per acre, with an average of 53 bushels per acre compared to 43.5 bushels per acre last year.  

Oklahoma
 
Participants in the Oklahoma state crop tour joined the Kansas crop tour explanation in Wichita on Wednesday evening, announcing their final estimate for the state. Oklahoma announced a production estimate of 157 million bushels. The Oklahoma crop produced 98 million bushels last year.

In Southwestern Oklahoma there were lower levels of disease and some nitrogen deficiency. The crop was a week to 10 days behind normal with some cutting expected May 25 to June. In Northeastern Oklahoma there was also a nitrogen deficiency.  In the Panhandle there was drought, with some wheat streak and high plains virus.  In the Western area, there was some leaf rust (low but building) and some barley yellow dwarf.  In the Central area, there were some weeds, disease and freeze damage. Overall, Oklahoma was expected to have close to an average crop.

 DAY TWO

2008 Yield Average

2007 Yield Average

Purple

41

41.0

Green

45

42.7

Pink

35

46.1

Yellow

53

43.5

Blue

38

42.6

Black

42

38.5

TOTAL DAY TWO

41

43.2

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