06-29-12 The latest Colorado Winter Wheat Harvest Update from CAWG...

June 29, 2012 - Colorado winter wheat harvest is wrapping up in the southeastern areas of the state and continuing at a rapid pace in the central and north with warm temperatures and more wind. One farmer said, “On the bright side, there aren’t any mosquitoes!”

The Colorado winter wheat crop is expected to be 70 percent harvested as of this evening, and 80 percent harvested by Sunday if conditions hold.  USDA’s harvest report estimated the harvest at 45 percent complete as of last Sunday.

Tempel Grain at Wiley estimated harvest is 95 percent complete in their area. Moisture content has been dry, around nine percent. Test weights have been very good, with most around 60 to 61 pounds per bushel. Yields have been around 18 bushels per acre.

Flagler Coop in Hugo reported that harvest was about 85 percent complete in the Hugo/Karvel/Matheson area, and 60 percent complete around Genoa. Moisture content was very dry. Test weight was holding at 60 to 62 pounds per bushel, and protein was low, with most wheat between seven and eight percent. Yields around Hugo and west were 20 to 30 bushels per acre, and around Genoa and north were 40 to 60 bushels per acre. Showers north of I-70 had shut farmers down Thursday evening, but harvest was in full swing again Friday morning. The Hugo area only received lightning and had some small prairie fires.

A wheat farmer near Genoa had about .05 of an inch of rain on Thursday evening, enough to shut them down for the night. He estimated they were 50 percent done on their farm. Their moisture content ranged from nine to ten percent and test weight was 59 to 62 pounds per bushel. Yields were 35 to 50 bushels per acre.

Cargill-Byers expects to take in a slightly above-average harvest this year. They estimated harvest at 75 to 80 percent complete for their area. Moisture averaged 9.5 percent, with a high of 12.97 percent and a low of 7.04 percent. Test weight was good, averaging 60.5 pounds per bushel, and protein was ordinary, around 11.0 percent. Reported yields ranged from 4 bushels per acre to 100 bushels per acre, with the average around 30 bushels per acre.

A Byers family farm reported they were about 60 percent done with harvest. Moisture content had been 10 percent, test weight 58 to 60 pounds per bushel, and yields ranging from 30 to 50 bushels per acre, with most in the 35-40 bushel per acre range. They had protein content ranging from 13 to 15 percent.

A Bennett area grower was about 65 percent done with harvest on his farm, and had started cutting about 10 days ago. Moisture content had been 10 to 11 percent, test weights were as high as 64 pounds per bushel, and yields ranged widely, from 18 to 40 bushels per acre. They were cutting some hail-damaged wheat that was yielding 15 bushels per acre, compared to the same variety that hadn’t had hail which had yielded 30 bushels per acre. They were slowed down by a shower on Wednesday afternoon but were cutting again by Thursday morning. This grower said they could cut all night long as there was not enough moisture in the air to make the wheat too tough to cut.

Roggen Farmers Coop reported harvest as 65 to 70 percent complete. Moisture content was still dry, test weights were good at over 60 pounds per bushel, protein was low, and they anticipated the county average yield would be around 45 bushels to the acre.

A Roggen farmer said his family was about 50 percent done with harvest on their farm, and they had been harvesting for about a week. Moisture content was 10 to 13 percent, test weight ranged from 58 to 61 pounds per bushel, protein content was mostly in the high 11s, with some of their Snowmass hard white winter wheat testing at 13.7 percent, and yields were 33 to 51 bushels to the acre.

West Plains said harvest was about 90 percent complete for their Platner location, and about 25 percent for their Johnstown location, with dryland wheat coming in now and irrigated expected to start next week. Moisture content at both locations was under 13 percent, and test weights were around 60 pounds per bushel. Protein at Platner averaged 11.5 percent, and at Johnstown was in the upper 12s. Yields overall were better than expected for the conditions, with yields about average for the area.

Cargill-Burlington estimates harvest in their area is 95 percent complete, with a little irrigated wheat still coming in.  Recent moisture content has been eight percent and dropping, test weight has averaged 60 pounds per bushel, and protein has been on the upper end of 11 percent. Yields averaged 40 bushels per acre. Dallas Vaughn said they expected their total intake to be a little below average.

CHS-Yuma said that harvest is over 95 percent complete in their area. Moisture content has been 9.5 percent, test weight good at 62 pounds per bushel, and protein averaging about 11.1 to 11.5 percent. Reported yields have ranged widely, but the average yield is between 30 and 35 bushels per acre. They anticipate a lower than average crop for their area.

Grainland in Haxtun reported harvest at 95 percent complete for their area, with mostly irrigated wheat still coming in. Moisture content was 10 percent, test weight was 61 pounds per bushel, and protein averaged 10.8 percent. They anticipated wrapping up with an average or slightly above average crop.

A wheat farmer near Haxtun wrapped up harvest this week much earlier than usual and reported yields better than expected. Their summer fallow wheat ranged from 34 to 53 bushels per acre, and wheat following corn ranged from 16.7 to 21 bushels per acre. He had protein content as high as 16.1 percent on wheat grown in sandy soil following corn.

USDA on June 12 projected Colorado winter wheat production in 2012 at 87,750,000 bushels, up 13 percent from 78,000,000 bushels produced last year, and up 29 percent from the 10-year average crop of 68,230,000 bushels.  The estimate for the 2012 Colorado winter wheat crop is based upon 2,250,000 acres being harvested with an average yield of 39 bushels per acre.  This compares with 2,000,000 acres harvested last year and the 10-year average of 2,070,000 acres harvested and an average yield of 39 bushels per acre last year and the 10-year average yield of 32.2 bushels per acre.  An estimated 2,400,000 acres were planted last fall for harvest in 2012, compared with 2,300,000 acres planted for harvest in 2011 and the 10-year average of 2,395,000 acres planted for harvest.

USDA released the latest acreage report this morning, estimating planted acres and harvested acres for Colorado and the U.S. From that report:

All wheat planted area (U.S.) is estimated at 56.0 million acres, up 3 percent from 2011. The 2012 winter wheat planted area, at 41.8 million acres, is up 3 percent from last year and up slightly from the previous estimate. Of this total, about 30.0 million acres are Hard Red Winter, 8.3 million acres are Soft Red Winter, and 3.5 million acres are White Winter. Area planted to other spring wheat for 2012 is estimated at 12.0 million acres, down 3 percent from 2011. Of this total, about 11.4 million acres are Hard Red Spring wheat. Durum planted area for 2012 is estimated at 2.20 million acres, up 61 percent from the previous year.

Colorado planted/harvested numbers were unchanged.

On July 11, USDA will release its updated forecast of yields and production.

Glenda Mostek, Communications and Marketing Director

Colorado Wheat Administrative Committee

Colorado Association of Wheat Growers

Colorado Wheat Research Foundation

4026 South Timberline Road, Suite 100

Fort Collins, Colorado 80525

Phone: 970-449-6994

Fax:  970-449-6999

Toll free: 1-800-WHEAT-10

http://www.coloradowheat.org