Manhattan, Kansas
March 6, 2008
Spring wheat prices that soared to
the $20 per bushel area recently have raised questions about
whether this crop can be successfully grown in Kansas.
The problem with either spring or winter wheat planted in the
spring is that the weather almost always turns hot and dry in
Kansas by the time this wheat is filling grain, said Jim
Shroyer, Kansas State University
Research and Extension crop production specialist.
"That results in low test weight, shriveled grain, and low
yields for any spring-planted wheat in Kansas, including hard
red spring wheat. Protein quality of spring wheat grown in
Kansas may also be less than the protein quality of spring wheat
grown in the Northern Plains," Shroyer said.
If producers do want to grow spring wheat, they should choose a
variety with early maturity, he added. Resistance to leaf
diseases would also be important.
Producers should be aware that spring wheat will typically
mature a week or two later than winter wheat in Kansas, he said.
This may affect harvesting decisions.
"If spring wheat is used to thicken a poor stand of winter
wheat, the winter wheat will mature first and may start to
shatter before the spring wheat is ready to harvest. It is also
important to keep spring wheat and winter wheat separate, unless
the wheat will be used as livestock feed. If the two classes are
mixed, the wheat will be
discounted heavily. The best approach would be to plant spring
wheat on a whole-field basis, not interspersed with winter wheat
in the same field," the K-State wheat specialist advised.
Marketing spring wheat in Kansas also may be difficult. Local
markets are hard to find, Shroyer added.
"If the spring wheat is shipped directly from the farm to
northern locations, the normally low quality of spring wheat
produced in Kansas may result in lower prices than producers
expect. Low test weight and poor protein quality are two of the
major concerns," he said. "To think that hard red spring wheat
grown in Kansas will bring
the kind of high prices currently posted on the Minneapolis
Grain Exchange is not realistic."
K-State Research and Extension is a short name for the Kansas
State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative
Extension Service, a program designed to generate and distribute
useful knowledge for the well-being of Kansans. Supported by
county, state, federal and private funds, the program has county
Extension offices, experiment fields, area Extension offices and
regional research centers statewide. Its headquarters is on the
K-State campus, Manhattan. |
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