Wheat harvest shifts into gear

Wheat began pouring into the elevator Sunday as the harvest got under way in earnest, according to an official at the Frenchman Valley Farmers Co-op in McCook.

Test weights were good, at 62-63 pounds, but it was too early to judge the yields, said Doug Brown, operations manager for Frenchman Valley.

Moisture was "all over the place," he said, with harvesters noting that while the heads are dry, the stems of the wheat plants are still green in many places.

"We need a few more hot days with dry winds," Brown said.

One of the biggest problems is that few custom cutters have arrived. He spoke to one cutter who had eight combines scattered from Texas to Kansas because of rain delays.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported 10 percent of Nebraska's crop ready for harvest at the end of the week.

Wheat quality was reported to be excellent in Decatur County, with 59-64 pounds test weight and yield reports from 40 to 70 bushels an acre.