Wheat acres?

Spook · Oct 29, 2018

I?ve noticed that a lot of fields around me are now in wheat. Usually, corn, beans, and some wheat. But it looks like more wheat is being planted. Is wheat cheaper to produce? Or is it more profitable ? I know it?s not a accurate survey, just looking around the neighborhood .

Brendon-KS · Oct 29, 2018

My 80-year old FIL will say that on average his best income has been from wheat over his lifetime of farming. Of course being in the middle of Kansas makes for ideal conditions for winter wheat but other factors apply. Seed cost is low - save a bushel-and-a-half from last year's harvest for each acre to be sowed, run it into town to be cleaned, and you're good to go. Fertilizer needs are around 70-80 units of N, spray once in the early spring for weed control, and harvest in June. If you average 50 bu/acre here you consider it a good year. It makes for a nice crop rotation too since you can often get soybeans planted right into the stubble after harvest for a double-crop.

Recently growing wheat in Kansas has been challenging. Due to winter and spring drought we only avereged in the mid-30's this summer and this next year's seed is still on the truck due to excessively wet weather. It should have been sowed a month ago. I'm sure our wheat acres in this area will be down significantly this next year because of guys not being able to sow in time.

Case Nutty 1660 · Oct 29, 2018

If the price is up now that explains it for ones who normally do not grow it,, I went through that for over 40 years growing wheat,, I grew it every year, with prices good or bad, the bto's would see the prices climbing up due to a bit lower production that year so they would plant all they could to it and flood the market with seed the next year then go on to a different crop,, me where I am the wheat gets ripe up to two months later than south of me so they got the high price and again I got what was left LOL just the way it always worked here

tomNE · Oct 29, 2018

just to ask; are u sure it's wheat? around here rye is planted as a cover crop and it is grown just like wheat!

DoubleR · Oct 29, 2018

I agree on the cover crop possibility. I plant rye on my little bit of ground for a winter cover when I can. BTO dairy farmer up the road no tills a cover crop on the ground after he chops the corn off.

MJMJ · Oct 29, 2018

By now most corn and beans should be gone and it's pretty common for fields to be replanted in winter wheat or rye.

Wheat acres?

Spook

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Brendon-KS

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Case Nutty 1660

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tomNE

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DoubleR

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MJMJ

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