Recent rains have brought much-needed soil moisture across Kansas, but many farmers in the state are falling behind schedule on winter wheat planting.
In the latest update from Kansas Wheat, Kansas State University wheat production specialist Romulo Lollato estimated statewide planting progress at about half the long-term average as of late last week. Typically, producers in the No. 1 US winter wheat production state would be around 80% done.
“We’ve received quite a bit of rain the last two weeks, with parts of the state close to five inches,” Lollato said.
The ongoing US government shutdown has scuttled the USDA’s weekly crop progress report for the past month, leaving analysts and market watchers to simply guess where farmers are in terms of winter wheat planting, as well as corn and soybean harvest. The latest poll of analysts by Reuters put national winter wheat planting at about 84% done as of Monday.
Kansas State’s Agronomy e-Update reports that planting in late October to early November remains acceptable in southeast and far south-central Kansas but is considered late in other areas and falls beyond full crop insurance coverage. Late planting can negatively impact yield, research shows.
However, the upside is much improved soil moisture for a crop that is oftentimes left parched by a lack of rain.
“Once fields dry, that moisture sets us up for good stand establishment,” Lollato said.
