Hayden on Harvest: Humid conditions slow South Texas wheat harvest progress

High humidity and incoming rain continued to delay wheat harvest activity for a custom harvesting crew working in South Texas.

The crew marked Day 12 of harvest operations while waiting for wheat moisture levels to drop enough to resume cutting. Early moisture checks showed grain readings in the upper 14 percent to low 15 percent range before conditions improved later in the day.

Harvest operations included moving equipment between fields and adjusting cutting patterns around irrigation pivots that were positioned across planted rows. Operators said the arrangement forced crews to cut portions of the field differently than normal to accommodate the pivot location.

The update also highlighted the logistics involved in custom harvesting, including repeated loading and unloading of combine headers while moving between fields.

“For anyone that wants to run a combine for the first time ever in their entire life, probably the hardest part would be maybe putting the header on and off the trailer,” the operator said during the harvest update.

The crew completed one field before parking combines and grain carts overnight while waiting for additional acres to become ready for harvest. Operators said several remaining wheat fields still needed more drying time before cutting could continue.

Weather conditions remained a concern throughout the update. The operator said humidity levels near 80 percent and forecasted rain were expected to further slow crop dry down over the following days.

As fieldwork slowed, the crew focused on maintenance tasks, equipment staging and downtime at the camper site while monitoring weather forecasts.

The update also provided a look at day-to-day life on a custom harvesting crew, including meal preparation, camper maintenance and caring for pets during extended harvest runs.

Operators indicated that if wet weather continues, harvest activity in South Texas could remain limited for several days.