Timely rains make grain

Rains at the right time made all the difference in the burgeoning wheat crop in Kansas this summer. Nebraska, meanwhile, played some catch up after starting with drought. Moisture that came late in the season as producers were about to lose hope ultimately provided a “decent” harvest.

Kansas farmer James Banahan grows wheat, corn and soybeans in western Republic County, between Scandia and Belleville. He is thankful for the help his crop got from a few snowfalls that made for a winter ground cover.

“We had mid to upper 50 bushels per acre for an average for wheat harvest; some good, some better,” said Banahan.

He grew the relatively new variety, Ox, a cross between a Colorado State University variety and Oklahoma State variety with some milling and baking quality that’s better for bread production.

Some of his fields yielded better than 60 bushels per acre, but others planted to wheat after alfalfa, were in the mid 30s.

“When it all averaged out, we had a little better than average,” said Banahan, who is also a conservation agronomist in central Kansas and parts of Nebraska and Iowa.

Although he seeded in pretty dry conditions, especially where wheat was planted after soybeans, his wheat got a good stand thanks to later rains and snowy ground cover.

Another Kansas wheat farmer, Nick Baxa, who farms and raises livestock with his dad Karl Baxa in southeast Republic County, held out hope for rains, which finally came, “just in the nick of time.”

“I was pleased,” Nick Baxa said. “You’re always at the mercy at the weather, and it was bit of a struggle at the beginning with a lack of moisture.”

Their fields caught a few timely rains in spring, which filled out the heads.

“That was more of a surprise than anything for what we got for rain,” Karl Baxa said.

Given the conditions, he was pleased with yields. They varied from 25-50 bushels per acre, depending which fields caught the rains.

“It goes to show you, rain makes grain,” Karl Baxa said.

Adam Polansky harvests wheat from Beloit in Mitchell County to Republic and Washington counties and across the state line in Thayer County, Nebraska. Dryland wheat yields around Belleville, Kansas, were very good, ranging from 60-80 bushels per acre, thanks to appreciable spring rainfall. East and north of Belleville, yields were more variable ranging from 40-70 bushels.

“We had an above average wheat crop in 2025, not as good as the 2024 wheat crop but still a good crop,” Polansky said.

His wheat went in with very little moisture last fall. Most didn’t come up until after some late October and November rains. December brought moderate temperatures, which helped the crop get established.

Polansky grows certified seed wheat and is also production and farm manager for Polansky Seed in Belleville.

Decent rainfall from late April through early June really helped, he said.

“Disease pressure was fairly low, although we did spray fungicide on most of our seed wheat and saw a 5-10 bushel yield response from the treatment,” Polansky said.

The wheat they cut in Nebraska, mostly from irrigated fields, was an excellent, ranging from 105-115 bushels per acre. It was the best Polansky has ever harvested, he said.

“These good yields I attribute to a new generation of wheat genetics, as well as good production practices by our growers,” he said.

The Rockstar variety had another “stellar’ year, he said, as did the new variety Goldenhawk. Other top performers included Bill Snyder and Providence from Kansas Wheat Alliance and Prolific from Agripro.

Agronomists say wheat yields across Kansas were better than expected. Those ranged from 80-90 bushels per acre on some dryland wheat that caught the right rains and cooler temperatures, and 40-50 bushels on wheat grown after beans.

Some of the disappointing yields stretched from Rawlins in western Kansas to Jewel County, which was in drought. Central and western Kansas had pretty good rains, almost to the point that wheat harvest was delayed in many areas, especially in south central Kansas.

Where there were 30 bushel yields, some counties suffered pressure from wheat streak mosaic virus. A few fields in Norton, Ford, Scott and Lane counties were completely abandoned due to the virus.

Rain during harvest time caused problems, too, including shattering where the seed is knocked out of the head before it gets into the combine.

In Nebraska, winter wheat harvest was 47% complete through the third week in July.

After starting with drought stress, then late emergence and uneven stands, finally the Nebraska wheat crop got cranking and flourished. There was an upside to drought.

“The dry conditions, which persisted throughout much of the growing season, also limited the number of diseases and pests,” said Royce Schaneman, executive director of Nebraska Wheat Board.

Good rains came late in the season statewide, but thankfully hit early in the grain-fill period, just as producers were about to lose hope.

“It went well, not fantastic. We were right at the county average for the year,” said Kent Lorens, who grows wheat, corn and has a cow-calf operation in Hitchcock County near Stratton, Nebraska.

It rained right before he started harvesting, but once they got back in the field, they were able to work straight through. Yields averaged 50 bushels per acre. Quality was excellent with test weights of 62 pounds per bushel at 12-14% protein.

That’s on par with harvest reports from across the state. Yields range ranging from 30-100 bushels per acre, but most of it hit the 40- to 50-bushel range. Test weights held steady averaging 60 pounds and protein levels were reported from 12-14.5%. Harvest in Nebraska is expected to wrap up by mid-August.