Kansas winter wheat production expected down 4 percent
Kansas
The 2009 Kansas wheat crop is forecast at 340.0 million bushels as of May 1. The current forecast is down 4 percent from the 2008 crop. This year's crop is expected to be harvested from 8.5 million acres, down 400,000 acres from 2008. Yield per harvested acre is expected to average 40 bushels, unchanged from last year.
Seeding of wheat acres began the second week of September and was ahead of average until the second week of October. Statewide, heavy rain was received the last three weeks of October with only 4 percent of the wheat being planted those three weeks. By Nov. 16, 97 percent of the wheat in the state had been seeded. Emergence progressed ahead of normal with 95 percent of the crop emerged by Nov. 23. Soil moisture conditions were mostly adequate throughout the fall. Wheat condition was rated 67 percent good to excellent on Nov. 30.
The state received snow and freezing rain in December. Precipitation was below normal throughout Kansas the rest of the winter. Temperatures were below normal in December and above normal in January and February. As of March 1, topsoil moisture was rated 66 percent very short to short, compared to 16 percent last year. Wheat conditions declined during the winter and were rated 50 percent good to excellent by the end of February.
As of April 26, only 75 percent of the wheat was jointing compared to 83 percent for the 5-year average. Temperatures have been moderate across the state all spring except for the second week of April when they dropped below freezing. Rainfall was light until the second week of April when widespread showers started and continued throughout the month, with some areas of the state receiving over 10 inches of rain. On April 26, statewide topsoil moisture was rated 95 percent adequate to surplus. Wheat condition ratings ranged from 37 percent good to excellent after the freezing temperatures to 48 percent good to excellent by the end of April.
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