As May turns into June, thoughts turn to the wheat crop. Anywhere you drive in Barton County, the wheat fields are waving in the wind. To me, this is a major reminder of how beautiful our great state is, and one of my favorite things to do in the spring and summer is watching the wheat grow and develop. But how well is our wheat doing? Come join us on June 6th at 6 p.m. for a 4-H wheat plot tour to hear more.
Every year, local 4-H members have the opportunity to have a wheat plot. They receive five different varieties of wheat from K-State Research and Extension to plant and study. This helps them get to know a little more about a few of the different varieties available and the characteristics of each. There are several ways that different varieties are compared. A few of the criteria that they compare is yield, disease resistance, drought resistance, and grain quality. All of these criteria are important to gather to assist a farmer when it comes time to decide what variety they will plant in the following year. This year, Barton County has three 4-H wheat plots in different parts of the county. On June 6th at 6 p.m., Stu Duncan, KSU specialist will be on hand to talk about the varieties of wheat planted at the different plots and see how they performed in various places in the county. Everyone is invited, and it is an evening of informative discussion about this year’s wheat harvest, and what varieties performed well in our current conditions. For more information, please call us at 620-793-1910 or stop by the Extension agency at 1800 12th street, Great Bend.
Alicia Boor is the Agriculture and Natural Resources agent for Barton County K-State Research and Extension. You can contact her by e-mail at aboor@ksu.edu or calling 620-793-1910