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Wheat Harvest Off to Early Start
by Dwight Koops, Regional Vice President
Ulysses, Kan.
The wheat harvest in western Kansas started much earlier than normal. By June 5, test cutting had already begun, and dryland harvest was in full swing over much of southwestern Kansas by June 10. With the early beginning, the harvest is moving north and west rapidly.
This early start is an indication of how poor the crop is in western Kansas. There will be some decent wheat cut on summer fallow fields, but, overall, the yields will be well below normal. West central and northwestern Kansas were affected heavily by two spring freezes. The second freeze came during flowering stage and devastated many fields in these areas. Insurance adjusters have been busy evaluating losses and settling claims.
There will be a lag between the dryland wheat harvest and the irrigated wheat harvest. Irrigated wheat will be ready to cut about the normal time between June 20 and June 25. Yields on irrigated wheat will be all over the board as well.
With wheat harvest underway, many producers are already looking toward the condition of other summer crops.
Hot, dry winds have prevailed over western Kansas most of the spring and continue to brutalize the emerging summer crops. Most of the corn looks pretty decent, considering the conditions. The cotton crop needs a break from the winds. Wind and dust on emerging cotton can be devastating to the crop. So far, conditions have not been favorable to get this crop off to a good start, and cotton yields will be poor if the current weather pattern continues.
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