News Categories

Advertising

Business/Farm

Wheat tour confirms a varying wheat crop in state

Attention: open in a new window.

Written by John Schlageck Tuesday, 14 May 2013 13:35

Looking at wheat throughout the central region of Kansas during the first couple days of May, members of the Wheat Quality Council labeled the crop in fairly average to slightly above-average condition.

Go a bit further west to Graham County and the wheat crop took a turn for the worse, according to Mark Nelson, Kansas Farm Bureau commodities director who’s taken part in the WQC for several years.

“We really saw some tough wheat the further west we traveled,” Nelson says. “A lot of...

Roberts: This week could be a critical one for corn

Attention: open in a new window.

Written by Jerry Engler Tuesday, 14 May 2013 13:35

This could be a critical week for getting the 2013 Marion County corn crop into the ground.

The questions about whether it’s getting late to plant corn, and whether ground is going to be dry enough to plant in time are “some tough calls to make,” according to Rickey Roberts, Marion County extension agent.

Of major concern, he said, is whether wheat straw stubble left from last year’s crop for no-till planting of corn will dry sufficiently, given the additional time needed because of the dense covering compared to conventional tillage. Rather than an advantage for moisture conservation, the situation may have turned into a short-term disadvantage.

Roberts said that some corn already planted has come up in spotty stands because...

Early indication: local wheat survives freezes

Attention: open in a new window.

Written by Jerry Engler Tuesday, 07 May 2013 14:31

Marion County farmers came close to losing their wheat crop Thursday night when temperatures dipped to near freezing.

“We may have gotten lucky last night, dodged our bullet,” Marion County Extension Agent Rickey Roberts was saying by mid-day Friday.

That said, his final words were: “That’s not a sure thing yet. It might take two or three more days going by before damage shows up.”

In general, he said, “Our wheat looks OK here, but given the last two cold spells, golly, we’re living on the edge.”

Before Thursday night, Marion County wheat had escaped prior potential frosts that damaged crops further west, according to Roberts. He’s hoping, along with those wheat farmers, that the cold is ready to moderate for...

Hillsboro Ford fundraiser could total $4,780

Attention: open in a new window.

Written by Hillsboro Free Press Tuesday, 30 April 2013 12:10

Hillsboro Ford has announced that the Drive 4UR School event on April 20 had 239 signups for a free test drive.

This number will need to be officially verified by Ford Motor Co. Once the number is confirmed, Hillsboro Ford will be giving a check to the Hillsboro High School Athletic Booster Club for $4,780.

Wheat groups pledge funds

Attention: open in a new window.

Written by Hillsboro Free Press Tuesday, 30 April 2013 12:09

The Kansas Wheat Commission, Kansas Wheat Alliance and Kansas Crop Improvement Association announced last week that collectively, they will fund more than $1.4 million dollars in wheat research for the 2014 fiscal year.

The research awards are for scientists with Kansas State University in Manhattan and Hays. The 2014 fiscal year runs from July 1, 2013 to June 30, 2014.

Research funding comes from one-and-a-half cents collected on every bushel of wheat sold in the state through the Kansas Wheat Commission, royalties collected on licensed public varieties through the Kansas Wheat Alliance and contributions from the research support fund generated by certified seed growers.

Much of the funding is tied directly to core facets of new...