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| Best of NAMA 2026 |
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ANNUAL WHEAT TOUR FINDS SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF CROP WILL BE ABANDONED
May 14, 2026
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| Romulo Lollato with K-State. | | Drough-stressed winter wheat in Kansas. |
BrownfieldAgNews reports:
An extension wheat and forage specialist says he expects a significant amount of wheat acres to be abandoned in parts of the Central Plains.
Romulo Lollato with Kansas State University says conditions of fields surveyed on the second day of the Hard Red Winter Wheat Tour were terrible. "We're stopping to sample the best fields we're seeing in the region. Those yields are coming in at 5 to 15 bushels per acre. Again, these are the best fields that we're finding in this region. We're not stopping at the ones that have failed because they will likely be terminated."
He tells Brownfield the crop has suffered from a combination of dry conditions, wheat streak mosaic virus and freeze damage. "The crop is very short. It's very drought stressed. All of the bottom leaves are pretty much gone. The crop is very thin. You walk between those rose and there is simply nothing there."
But, Lollato says, there could be some improvement as the tour wraps up Thursday. "As we go more towards south-central Kansas we might start seeing some better fields."
He says the area has received more rain but doesn't expect it to offset lower production in other parts of the state. Lollato says production will likely be lower than USDA's latest projection of 37 bushels per acre.
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