The registration date for the annual Hard Winter Wheat Quality Tour is coming up on May 1 but hotel blocks will be released soon. The tour, sponsored by the Wheat Quality Council, brings in participants from around the world who are tied to the wheat industry, but may not have ever been in fields. These individuals are able to interact with Kansas farmers, network with their peers, learn more about wheat production and assess the condition and yield potential of the hard winter wheat crop across the state of Kansas.
This year’s tour dates will be May 15 to 18. Participants gain a firsthand understanding of what it takes for farmers to grow, manage, harvest and market the crop. Over the three-day tour, they will canvass the state’s wheat crop from Manhattan to Colby to Wichita and back again. Along the way, they will stop every 15 miles or so to estimate yields in wheat fields on their routes. Every car will carry at least one Wheat Tour veteran who is not only familiar with the route, but also basic agronomy and the yield estimate formula. This allows participants to ask questions about the wheat that they are seeing, as well as diseases, growing conditions, field observations and more.
“These tours are a tremendous learning experience for any new people in the industry,” said Dave Green, executive vice-president of the Wheat Quality Council. “This training and mentoring opportunity is an extremely good value for the amount of fundamental wheat industry knowledge that a person can acquire in just three short days.”
Foreign and domestic buyers of Kansas wheat will participate, giving those folks a chance to see the wheat that they trade, mill, bake and ship growing in the Kansas fields. Tours have seen upwards of 120 participants in the past, giving Kansas farmers the chance to interact with and influence their customers around the globe.
More than 600 crop evaluations will be made in wheat fields throughout the state, and yield estimates made using a formula developed by the National Agricultural Statistics Service.
Participants are sure to see drought conditions across much of the state. As of April 9, Kansas winter wheat condition rated 61% poor to very poor, 26% fair, and only 13% good to excellent, according to USDA NASS. Topsoil moisture supplies rated 80% short to very short, and subsoil moisture is 83% short to very short.
For Kansas farmers, you do not have to be on the Wheat Quality Council’s Hard Winter Wheat Tour to scout wheat fields and make your own estimates. To help, we have compiled the steps participants will use to estimate yields so you too can participate. Visit our website at kswheat.com to get a step-by-step tutorial for calculating yields using the same method as the tour participants. This year’s formula will be released on May 15.
Register for the Wheat Tour at wheatqualitycouncil.org. Encourage others from your organization to join you. A better educated wheat industry is beneficial to all of us.
