By Jordan Hildebrand, Program Assistant
For audio file, please visit kansaswheat.org.
This is day 6 of the Kansas Wheat Harvest Reports, brought to you by the Kansas Wheat Commission, Kansas Association of Wheat Growers and the Kansas Grain and Feed Association.
Hot and muggy are terms that could be used to describe farmers’ morning coffee needs, but these terms are also a perfect description of the state of the state’s wheat harvest. While Twitter reports indicate that there may be sparse cutting Monday in the state, most farmers are sidelined until fields dry out and moisture levels drop.
Dean Stoskopf, a farmer near Hoisington, reported that his family is around ¼ of the way done, a figure which he estimates is above the area average.
“I am guessing that the area is only around 10-15 percent done,” said Stoskopf. “I know some people who haven’t even gotten started yet.”
Stoskopf reports yields ranging from 60-75 bushels per acre and test weights ranging from 60-63 pounds per bushel. His area saw no major disease concerns, but he reported that northwestern Barton County did see some Wheat Streak Mosaic Virus damage.
“So far we have been pleasantly surprised,” said Stoskopf. “One thing that I’ve heard is that the straw is really tough this year because the humidity hasn’t let it dry down yet. I have seen that there is a lot of pretty green wheat left in the area.”
The 2017 Harvest Report is brought to you by the Kansas Wheat Commission, Kansas Association of Wheat Growers and the Kansas Grain and Feed Association. For exclusive #wheatharvest17 content, please head to facebook.com/kansaswheat.
