June 28th, 2013

The 2013 HRW wheat harvest hit high gear in the southern and south central states this week as temperatures reached triple digits and fields dried down.  The Texas harvest is now winding down in all areas other than far northwest Texas (Panhandle) and is estimated to be 70% complete state-wide.  Oklahoma also made a big leap in harvested area this week with now 80% of the state’s wheat crop cut.  Many areas of north central Oklahoma have been reporting good yields (40 – 60) bushel per acre (2.7 – 4.0 tons/ha), good test weight (above 60 lb/bu) (78.9 kg/hl) and protein averaging in the upper 11’s.  Combines are rolling from the Oklahoma border to the Nebraska border in Kansas and as far west as Colorado.  Kansas is currently reportedly 25% complete with harvest, but moving very rapidly.  Early reports in Kansas have been much like states further south where drought and freeze were factors and that has influenced yields, kernel characteristics and protein.  Areas in the western 1/3 of Kansas have reported very erratic yields, small kernels, but very good protein.  The central area of Kansas has been reporting very good yields (>50 bushels per acre) (>3.4 tons/ha) with good kernel characteristics, but proteins of 11 and below in some areas.  Colorado and Nebraska are just getting underway with harvest with no data currently available.

The overall protein average of the first 80 samples of and expected 500 is 12.9% (all 80 samples are from central/north central Texas and Oklahoma).  The TKW data is from the first 61 of the 80 samples currently being tested and is reflective of the adverse conditions under which the crop developed in Texas and Oklahoma (extreme drought and multiple freeze events during later stages of development), TKW’s are expected to increase as harvest moves northward where there were many areas not subject to such condition during crop development.

Harvest Summary
Tst Exp MST Pro% DKG TKW FN Grade Test Weight FM DMG S&B DEF
80 500 11.4 12.9 0.71 24.6* 1HRW 60.0 78.9 0.2 0.2 1.9 2.3
FINAL 2012
538 Final 10.7 12.6 0.48 29.0 409 1HRW 61.1 80.4 0.1 0.1 1.2 1.4

*(based on 61 early samples)