WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Participants in this year’s Kansas winter wheat tour have now spread out along various routes between Colby and Wichita as they trod through the state’s drought-plagued fields.
Wednesday’s swing through southwest and south central Kansas marks the second leg of the annual event. Tour scouts made 317 stops at wheat fields across north central and central and northwest Kansas on Tuesday.
#Wheat in southern Lane Co. Not looking good. Lucky if it makes it to #harvest. #drought #WheatTour18 pic.twitter.com/rIVu6WgIkn
— KansasWheat (@KansasWheat) May 2, 2018
The industry group Kansas Wheat said in a news release that the calculated yield the first day from the 24 cars participating was 38.2 bushels per acre, but acknowledged that yield estimate may be too high. Plant development is about three weeks behind normal and the wheat is short.
Tour participants are expected to release their forecast for this year’s crop at the end of the three-day tour.