By Scout Nelson
The Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station conducts annual evaluations of wheat performance across multiple state locations to help farmers select the most suitable varieties for their regions.
According to Jane Lingenfelser, K-State crop performance test coordinator, while some areas performed well, irregular weather patterns posed challenges for wheat production in other regions.
Lingenfelser, an assistant agronomist in Kansas State University’s Department of Agronomy, observed significant differences in yield, even within short distances. “It was common to have 20 bushel per acre fields just a few miles or maybe even across the road from 80 bushel or more fields,” she noted. Despite these challenges, the state’s average yield was estimated at 43 bushels per acre, an increase of 8 bushels from the previous year.
The 2023-2024 growing season started promisingly for most Kansas farmers, with favorable conditions leading to early biomass growth in fields.
However, Lingenfelser explained that the high biomass also increased the wheat crop's water demand, exacerbated by three years of La Nina weather patterns that made the crop reliant on in-season rains.
While a severe cold snap in January posed a risk of winterkill, snowfall protected most fields. However, drought conditions in central and western Kansas during the spring, coupled with unusual temperature fluctuations, further stressed the crops. Additionally, diseases like wheat streak mosaic virus and pests such as wheat curl mites also impacted wheat performance in certain fields.
Photo Credit: gettyimages-tlillico
Categories: Kansas, Crops, Wheat, Weather