Harvest Report – June 30

The Texas wheat harvest is drawing to a close this week as combines push north out of the state. Harvest throughout the South Plains has completed and producers in the Panhandle have cut approximately 97 percent of the acres to date.

Protein levels remained strong this season, with most areas averaging above 12 percent, and test weights came in averaging 60 pounds per bushel.  Some areas in the Northern High Plains reported higher than expect yields on both dryland and irrigated acres, while the rest of the High Plains saw reduced production due to exceptional drought, high winds and high temperatures.  Producers across the state are now hoping for rainfall to aid in the fall planting season.

North of Dallas, the Soft Red Winter region has concluded harvest. The area harvested high quality wheat with better than expected yields.

Harvest Progress by Region:

• Coastal Region – 100%
• Northern Blacklands – 100%
• Southern Blacklands (South of Dallas) – 100%
• Southern Rolling Plains (East of Abilene) – 100%
• Northern Rolling Plains (Wichita Falls, Vernon, Childress) – 100%
• South Plains (Lubbock, Brownfield) – 99%
• Panhandle (Amarillo and North) – 97%

Harvest Report – June 22

Combines are beginning to wrap up the Texas harvest as they continue to push through the Panhandle region. Harvest across the South Plains region is wrapping up with approximately 98 percent of the acres cut to date, including irrigated land. Quality factors have held constant with high test weights and protein levels.

Harvest in the Panhandle has continued to be a swift process as combines made their way north quickly.  Approximately 90 percent of the crop has been cut at this time, including both dryland and irrigated acres, and harvest is expected to conclude next week. Test weights have remained strong with high protein levels; the only downfall has been dismal yields on dryland crops due to poor weather conditions. Yields on irrigated acres have been higher, averaging around 30-40 bushels an acre.

The Soft Red Winter region, north of Dallas, is also wrapping up harvest this week with 99 percent of the harvest done. Yields have been higher than expected averaging 50-60 bushels an acre.

 

Harvest Progress by Region:

• Coastal Region – 100%
• Northern Blacklands – 99%
• Southern Blacklands (South of Dallas) – 99%
• Southern Rolling Plains (East of Abilene) – 99%
• Northern Rolling Plains (Wichita Falls, Vernon, Childress) – 99%
• South Plains (Lubbock, Brownfield) – 98%
• Panhandle (Amarillo and North) – 90%

Harvest Report- June 16

Combines continued their northern journey this week as they reached the Texas Panhandle. Harvest in the Southern Blacklands and Rolling Plains has wrapped up for the season. Quality factors in both regions remained strong with high test weights and protein levels. The South Plains region, including Brownfield and Lubbock, will also be wrapping up harvest soon with an estimated 90 percent of the acres cut to date. Quality coming out of the South Plains region remains strong with high test weights and above average protein levels.  

Harvest in the Panhandle has been put on the fast track this week due to above normal temperatures and high winds. This week combines are starting to wrap up in the southern half of the region and have traveled as far north as Perryton. Yields in the region are highly variable and down considerably with only 5-30 bushels per acre on dryland wheat and 10-50 bushels per acre on irrigated wheat, in contrast, test weights and protein levels have been above average.

The Soft Red Winter Wheat region north of Dallas is expected to conclude harvest this week with about 90 percent of the acreage being cut. Yields from the area are still holding strong.

Harvest Progress by Region:

• Coastal Region – 100%
• Northern Blacklands – 95%
• Southern Blacklands (South of Dallas) – 99%
• Southern Rolling Plains (East of Abilene) – 99%
• Northern Rolling Plains (Wichita Falls, Vernon, Childress) – 99%
• South Plains (Lubbock, Brownfield) – 90%
• Panhandle (Amarillo and North) – 45%

Producers Encouraged to Book Seed Early

The widespread drought which hammered Texas wheat fields all year could leave a lasting impression with the availability of quality seed wheat.

Drought conditions have decreased wheat yields, which may lead to tight seed supplies, “but there will be certified seed available,” said Rob Borchardt, Syngenta Seeds Southern Plains business manager.

In a year like this, producers are high encouraged to start looking for seed early.

“Most of the certified seed is produced on the best ground and in many instances under irrigation. There will be seed available, but one needs to get ahead of the game,” Borchardt said.

Small-grains farmers should also be aware of specific regulations regarding the Plant Variety Protection Act as harvest activities slow down across the state.

The plant protection act began in 1970 with the original version allowing farmers to save enough seed for their own use or sell that amount to a neighbor if the original plans for the seed changed. The 1994 amendment to the Plant Variety Protection Act prohibits the sale of all farmer-saved seed without the permission of the variety owner, and each variety is covered under the act for 20 years. Seed can only be sold by its variety name as certified seed.

Violations of the act include selling, buying, delivering, exchanging or advertising a protected variety or selling a protected variety without permission from the variety owner. A third party can clean and condition a “reasonable” amount of seed for a farmer if the seed is only planted on the farmer’s holdings. Any action toward marketing a protected variety is a violation of the act.

Source: Kay Ledbetter, AgriLife Today