On Wednesday, 67 people on the Wheat Quality Council’s 2025 winter wheat tour made their way from Colby to Wichita, Kansas, stopping in wheat fields along six different routes. They were joined in Wichita by local farmers.
Wednesday’s wheat tour scouts made 211 stops at wheat fields across western, central and southern Kansas, and into northern counties in Oklahoma.
The calculated yield from all cars was 53.3 bushels per acre. Scouts were able to use the late season formula provided by USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, which includes counting wheat heads, number of spikelets and kernels per spikelet. The yield formula doesn’t take disease, pests or weed pressure into consideration.
Gary Millershaski, farmer from southwest Kansas and officer for U.S. Wheat Associates, addressed the group and talked about exports, welcoming the USW guests from central and South America.
Romulo Lollato, K-State extension wheat specialist, said, “The story of the day was Wheat Streak Mosaic Virus (WSMV), much worse than the first day. Some fields were bright yellow and very stressed.” He went on to say that southwest Kansas hasn’t had a good crop for last couple years because of drought, and this year they were set up for better year but were hit by WSMV. The biggest concern with WSMV is with loss of yield, but quality will be set mainly by weather during grainfill. In today’s areas, there was not as much drought stress as day one because areas have received rainfall over the past month. He also mentioned other issues, like wheat stem maggot and loose smut.
Dennis Schoenhals from Oklahoma Wheat Growers Association reported that USDA-NASS estimated the state’s production at 107.25 million bushels this year, similar to last year. USDA/NASS estimates the Oklahoma crop will yield 39 bushels per acre, compared with 38 last year. Harvested acres are estimated at 2.75 million acres. A tour of agronomists and others in the industry estimated the production slightly lower than the NASS estimate, at 101 million bushels and a yield of 36 bushels per acre.
Wheat Tour 25 continues Thursday with six routes between Wichita and Manhattan. Follow along with the tour at #wheattour25. A final production estimate will be announced Thursday afternoon.
