Wheat overcomes early growing conditions

Friday, July 1, 2005
Jim Palic cleans chaff out of his combine reel, as his son, John, cuts through a field of wheat belonging to the Maude Neubauer Trust. The Palics said Thursday they have been surprised at the quality of the wheat they're harvesting, challenged by weather and drought. "We've been lucky too, there's not too much wheat that's down," Jim said. Helping Jim and John with the harvest northeast of McCook were 14-year-old Ashley and 11-year-old Connor, "go-fers" and moral support. Jan Mahon, grain manager for Frenchman Valley Farmers Co-Op elevators in McCook, Perry and Culbertson, said harvest started early this year. "We don't usually get started until after the Fourth," she said. (Connie Jo Discoe/McCook Daily Gazette)

Climbing down from the cab of his green combine northeast of McCook on Thursday afternoon, John Palic smiled and compared Nebraska's wheat to a cat.

"Wheat's pretty resilient," he said. "It has nine lives -- like a cat. Just when you think it's dead, it's not."

John and his dad, Jim, have been pleasantly surprised by this year's wheat crop. "It's good wheat, for the year," Jim said. "Considering the frost ... no rain ... rain at the wrong time."

Jim said, however, the last rains were beneficial. "They seemed to finish the wheat out for us," he said.

Jan Mahon, grain manager for Frenchman Valley Co-Op elevators in McCook, Perry and Culbertson, said this morning this harvest is surprising many wheat growers. Test weights have been good, early bushel estimates are good and the wheat's dry, she said.

Mahon said the first load came in a week ago today, and yesterday (Thursday) was their biggest day.

Loads at Culbertson, Perry and McCook are averaging 59 1/2 to 60 pounds per bushel, she said, with only sporadic loads weighing less.

"It's dry, too," she said. With a week of hot days and no rain, the wheat's testing at 10 to 11 percent moisture, she said, with very, very little above 13.5 percent.

Mahon said the wheat, too, has very little protein, which develops when the wheat is under stress.

Mahon said with more hot, dry days like Thursday, most of the wheat in the McCook area could be cut by the end of next week. " 'course, that's without rain," she said. "We don't want rain. Every rain delays harvest and deteriorates the wheat."

South of McCook, into Kansas, the Kansas Department of Commerce reports that wheat from Kanona to Traer and Herndon is averaging 62 pounds per bushel and below 10 percent moisture.

In the Selden area on Wednesday afternoon, the elevator was piling wheat on the ground because elevators are full.

Elevator officials estimated that the harvest would be 50 percent cut Wednesday afternoon.

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