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The final estimate for the 2008 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 43.3 bushels per acre, 2.3 bushels higher than the 2007 estimate of 41.0 bushels per acre.
Participants in the tour made individual estimates on the total size of the crop, with the weighted average at 379.11 million bushels. Last year's final estimate for the tour was 392.74 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 results were: Crop quality looked good, with most participants commenting on a lack of disease pressure this year.
There were some instances of powdery mildew, tan spotting, mustard and wheat streak mosaic. One of the most common comments was the disparity in size between the fields that were planted the first of October and the ones that were planted toward the end of October. Jim Shroyer, an Agronomist with Kansas State University, told the group that historically, yields are high with a later crop but it will run the risk of the weather getting hot and dry and half of the tillers will be gone.
On the second day of the tour, groups left Colby, Kansas and traveled different routes to Wichita, Kansas. The results were: Overall the wheat was good in observation, with few diseases.
It was observed by crop participants that the wheat seen on the third day (Western to Central Kansas) looked good overall with only very minor disease or weed pressure. There were some fields with thin stands. It was very wet in south central Kansas. Estimates for day three were at 43.3 bushels per acre, up from 32.4 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 is 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 Crop Tour Results
