The last several days with temps in the high 80s and low 90s our wheat has taken a decidedly more yellow look, a reminder that the 2009 Kansas wheat harvest is near. I would guess that sometime in the next 4 or 5 days we will learn of test cutting in the southern tier of counties, if this has not happened already. My best guess is test cutting will probably start in our immediate area sometime near the 18th to 20th, and by June 25th harvest will be in full swing.
Unlike the previous two years I have posted on FWi, this year our wheat appears to be respectable. For us, that would put yields in the range of 40-50 bushels per acre, or about one to one and a quarter of your tons to the acre. Our temps have been fairly cool, so we should also begin harvest with good test weights. As always, the weather will be the wild card, we have had a particularly stormy Sunday, and are to be in a severe thunderstorm watch until 5am Monday, we went into the first watch at 5pm, so that gives us 12 hours of being in a watch, quite a long time really. The first storm came through about 8pm, it only gave us 2 tenths of an inch of rain, and winds of around 50 mph. The second storm hit around 11pm, and apparently we will get a third and maybe fourth before this is over early tomorrow morning. With all this moisture and good soybean prices, I feel confident to predict nearly every acre of wheat harvested will be planted back to soybeans in eastern Kansas, if the fields are dry enough to plant.