The drought monitor report as of Tuesday June 16 shows essentially no change from last week. The six to ten day forecast (June 22 to 26) indicates a 33 to 40% chance of leaning below normal temperatures and 33 to 40% chance of leaning above normal for precipitation. The eight to 14-day forecast indicates (June 24 to 30) indicates normal for temperatures and a 33 to 50% chance of leaning above normal for precipitation. Better news for our summer crops.

What promised to be an early wheat harvest was slowed down by wet weather and storms. Harvest has picked up in the area, especially south of the river. As expected, yields are lower than the long-term average after a warm, sometimes hot, dry winter and a late cold spell or two. For some, hail and strong winds further depressed yields. The field abandonment rate is estimated at 20% or more. Abandonment is well above the average. Even irrigated wheat yields are mostly well below average with the weather. And some parts of the state saw significant disease pressure including wheat streak mosaic virus. Wheat prices are up with cash bids at delivery around six dollars per bushel. Even with somewhat higher prices, low yields and high input costs mean little, if any profit. It’s a good year for crop insurance and to take advantage of the appropriate government programs.

If you pay any attention to news media of any kind, you have seen or read about the wheat harvest. They throw around terms producers and those in the industry are well aware of. However, the average Kansan may not be familiar with them and what it means for the crop. Today, we’ll look at these common terms and what they mean.

• Yield is expressed in bushels/acre. A bushel is actually a volume and originally meant eight dry gallons. Now it is a weight, depending on the crop. For hard red winter wheat (HRWW) it’s 60 pounds. If you pay attention to grain exports, you will notice they are expressed in metric tons. An acre is 43,560 square feet or about the size of a standard football field.
• Test weight is mentioned and that is simply what the bushel of wheat actually weighs. If it weighs more than 60 lb/bu, that’s great but really doesn’t help the price when selling. However, if it falls much below 60, say 55 or 56 lb/bu, the producer often receives a lower price. Being rained on when ready to harvest can lower test weight.
• Finally, protein matters. HRWW needs a protein content of 12 percent or better for its intended use. Lower protein lowers the price. It’s used in all-purpose flour. By itself, it’s good for yeast bread, Asian noodles, and for the same uses as all-purpose flour with some adjustments.

Dr. Victor L. Martin is the agriculture instructor/coordinator for Barton Community College. He can be reached at 620-792-9207, ext. 207, or martinv@bartonccc.edu.