84 people from around the world are going to be spending the next 3 days seeing and sampling the 2019 hard winter wheat crop across most of Kansas and parts of Nebraska and Oklahoma. The first leg of the journey starts in Manhattan Kansas. Tour participants will then travel and take data from wheat fields to Colby Kansas. Following an overnight stop in Colby the tour resumes and heads to Wichita Kansas. The final day the tour winds it’s way back to Manhattan where it all started for a tally of the final numbers.

The latest USDA crop progress reports show that winter wheat crop is doing very well at 64% good to excellent compared to 33% good to excellent a year ago. This has some early on expecting to see some top end wheat on the tour. K-State wheat specialist Romulo Lollato spoke to the tour group on the first evening and believes the 2019 hard winter wheat crop could be a tale of two plantings. “Wheat that was drilled early in October 2018 looks great. Possibly some of the best we have seen in years. Wheat drilled later in month doesn’t look as good.” Explained Lollato
Another growing condition that hasn’t been seen for years in Kansas is no drought. The latest drought monitor reports that Kansas is at 0% drought. Though several in the crowd from South West Kansas mentioned quickly drying conditions. Wet weather also brings with it the possibility of disease pressure. Tour participants will be keeping an eye out both stripe and leaf rust. Along with wheat streak mosaic.
Learn more about the tour and the commodity groups that help to host it here:
Dave Green Audio: https://post.futurimedia.com/krvnam/playlist/2019-wheat-quality-tour-kicks-off-6613.html
Aaron Harries Audio: https://post.futurimedia.com/krvnam/playlist/wheat-tour-2019-and-the-kansas-wheat-commission-6614.html