Crop concerns noticed on this year's trip included dry conditions and under-developed wheat plants, especially in the western region of the state. Late development was attributed to the late planting last fall because of dry conditions. Abandonment was evident for this year's crop, with some fields either torn up to plant an optional crop or left for grazing. The crop is in need of some rain in the next two weeks to make decent yields. Mustard seed, henbit, some tan spotting and wind damage were evident, but not considered major problems.
Crop scouts on the tour spent Tuesday, Wednesday and today surveying Kansas, usually the top U.S. wheat producing state, trying to assess the production potential of hard red winter wheat for this year. The third day of the tour showed more adequate moisture with higher producing yields than seen earlier in the week. The average yield for the third day was 39.0 bushels per acre, 6.1 bushels lower than the 2000 estimate of 45.1 bushels per acre on the third day.
Other emphasis was placed on the extreme variance in crop conditions. It was not uncommon for tour participants to observe a greater-yielding field next to or across the road from a lesser-yielding or poor-quality field. More detailed information from the tour can be found on the KCBT's website at http://www.kcbt.com.
