Beans on the heels of wheat harvest

By

News

June 26, 2015 - 12:00 AM

Farming is an integral part of Allen County’s economy and its compelling presence is never more evident than at this time of year.
Local farmers are harvesting wheat, planting soybeans and putting up hay. And, just to make sure they don’t get caught up in a lull, there’s wheat ground to prep for a second crop of soybeans.
“It is a busy time of the year,” said Carla Nemecek, ag agent with the Southwind Extension District. Farmers are at it from early morning often until well after the sun sets, she said. “Some have day jobs, like my dad did. They work long hours after they get home and on weekends.”
A part of farming that often escapes notice is what happens other than in fields.
“People need to be aware there are slow-moving farm vehicles on the roads a lot, with farmers going from one field to another,” chauffeuring combines, tractors and equipment that often take up more than a single lane of traffic. Transporting harvested grain to elevators also leads to traffic congestion.
Just Wednesday northeast of Mildred a combine and pickup truck collided on an Allen County road.
Give them a little leeway, Nemecek urged folks who don’t have an immediate stake in agriculture.

FROM AN INFORMAL survey, the local wheat harvest has moved well past the halfway point, with good but occasionally mixed results.
“Shawn Geffert (south of Iola) said he thought they’d finish up their wheat today (Wednesday),” and the number of fields of headless stalks are becoming more and more the norm each day, she said.
As for yields, “it depends on who you talk to,” Nemecek said. “It sounds like the average is about 40 bushels (an acre), but I’ve also heard of 60, even above. Test weights are good” — Kansas State University experts say 56 pounds per bushel are most desirable.
Dale Daniels, south of Humboldt, echoed Nemecek’s assessment, noting wheat mostly was good but yields sometimes vary within a single field.
Some disease has surfaced in local wheat.
“There’s some head scab that has led to instances of vomitoxin,” which arises because of too much moisture during wheat’s development, Nemecek said. Nearly 11 inches of rain fell here in May. Disease can lead to dockage at elevators, and if it is present, Nemecek recommended farmers who keep wheat for seed to treat it with a fungicide.
Julie Sterling, also in the Humboldt area, said son Layne suffered substantial dockage with wheat from one field, but had none at all from another.
Corn appears headed for a bumper crop.
“It really looks good right now,” Nemecek said, with the caveat liberal rainfall causes root systems to spread laterally rather than deeper into the earth. That can be a significant problem if nature’s spigot is squeezed shut and moisture in fields is found only deeper than roots can reach.
Another warning: “I always tell gardeners (who can control moisture) not to water too often so when dry weather comes the plants won’t suffer so much from lack of moisture” — for the same reason.
Farmers with livestock have had the benefit of good hay crops, stock water ponds filled to the brim and pastures replete with lush and ample grass from spring rains.
“Things really look good right now,” Nemecek said.
Reality is, corn and soybean yields will be determined by what Mother Nature provides the next six to eight weeks.

Related
November 14, 2014
June 27, 2014
May 30, 2012
April 23, 2011