This is day 12 of the Kansas Wheat Harvest Reports, brought to you by the Kansas City Board of Trade, DeBruce Grain, the Kansas Grain & Feed Association and Kansas Wheat. Over the Independence Day weekend, a long line of thunderstorms spread across northern Kansas, temporarily stopping the fledgling wheat harvest in the northwest area of the state. Meanwhile, the 2009 wheat harvest is drawing to a close elsewhere in Kansas.

Kansas Wheat Commissioner Brian Linin, Frontier Ag, Goodland says a thunderstorm the evening of July 3 allowed many farmers to take the Fourth of July off, but harvest was expected to resume Sunday afternoon. Linin rates harvest progress in extreme northwest Kansas at about 5%. Although early, he expects yields to average greater than 40 bushels per acre with test weights more than 60 pounds per bushel. Protein is expected to be below average.

David Schemm, Kansas Association of Wheat Growers vice president from Sharon Springs, says harvest in the Wallace County area is about 70% complete and with clear skies expected for the next several days, harvest will be finished by July 10. Schemm says yields have been good, with 30-plus bushels per acre and a field of the variety Stanton topping 45 bushels per acre. Test weights are averaging about 63 pounds per bushel.

Ron Suppes, Kansas Wheat Commissioner from Dighton, is pleasantly surprised with the 2009 wheat crop. A rain Easter Sunday, coupled with cool weather following, helped benefit continuous and summer fallow wheat. Suppes is particularly impressed with Danby Hard White wheat. Fuller Hard Red wheat also has been very good. Protein levels are averaging 11 or 12. Test weights average about 62 pounds per bushel. Area yields in summer fallow are averaging 55 bushels per acre; continuous wheat, 35 bushels per acre. Suppes should be finished with wheat harvest by July 10.

Dean Stoskopf, Kansas Wheat Commissioner from Hoisington, wrapped up harvest on July 2. With a 45-bushel per acre average, the 2009 harvest was better than expected, thanks to an extended grain-fill period brought about by cool temperatures and abundant moisture. Stoskopf says test weights were 60 and above and protein levels averaged about 11. The varieties Post Rock, Santa Fe and Tam 112 stood out.

The 2009 Harvest Salute to Producers is brought to you by Kansas Wheat in conjunction with sponsors Kansas City Board of Trade, DeBruce Grain and the Kansas Grain & Feed Association.