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The final estimate for the 2009 hard red winter wheat tour sponsored by the Wheat Quality Council was announced today at the Kansas City Board of Trade. The final participant estimate for the three-day tour average was a yield of 40.8 bushels per acre, 2.5 bushels lower than the 2008 estimate of 43.3 bushels per acre.
Participants in the tour made individual estimates on the total size of the crop, with the weighted average at 333.3 million bushels. Last year's final estimate for the tour was 379.11 million bushels. 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.
On the first day of the tour, groups left Manhattan, Kansas and traveled different routes to Colby, Kansas. The crop after the first day was summed up as an “average” crop, with fields observed seen as mostly disease free and benefitting from recent rains in key areas. Despite some fields that showed significant freeze damage or winterkill, the majority of day one observations were favorable and did not show any surprises, according to crop scouts.
On the second day of the tour, groups left Colby, Kansas and traveled different routes to Wichita, Kansas. Participants viewed fields again in “average” condition, but also noted problems with barley yellow dwarf, wheat streak mosaic, hail damage, Russian wheat aphids, drought stress, wheat mites, standing water in some fields, and frost damage.
It was observed by crop participants that the wheat seen on the third day (Western to Central Kansas) looked fair, with more than adequate moisture and some nitrogen deficiency. Stands of wheat varied in development from flag to flowering stages. Harvest is estimated to begin in Kansas in six weeks. Estimates for day three were at 43.7 bushels per acre, up from 43.3 bushels per acre last year for the third day.
Emphasis was placed on the fact that this is what the current crop looks like at this given point in time. Weather will continue to be a major factor in the outcome of this year’s crop.
More detailed information from the tour can be found on the KCBT’s website at http://www.kcbt.com.
