US spring wheat harvest is officially underway.
Dry conditions and warmer than normal temperatures, have been very few harvest delays.
Yesterday’s USDA Crop Progress report shows that about 17 percent of the U.S. spring wheat crop has been harvested, ahead of the average of 8 percent.
The bulk of this has taken place in South Dakota (53 percent harvested) and Minnesota (32 percent).
In North Dakota, about six percent has been harvested.
North Dakota producers are indicating they are seeing fairly strong test weight values: 95kg/hl or higher, and high protein, ranging from 14-18 percent on the early crop.
Meantime, producers in areas that received more moisture, this growing season are seeing yields close to average.
However, the bulk of the state’s crop is expected to show yields well below normal.
On this wake, the Wheat Quality Council spring wheat tour projected an average yield of just over 29 bushels per acre, about a 20 bushel per acre drop from last year.
In fact, condition of the crop, continue to be low with only 10 percent of the US spring wheat crop rated in good to excellent condition.
Nearly two-thirds is rated in poor to very poor condition.
In North Dakota, 42 percent of the crop is mature, well ahead of the average of 21 percent and 84 percent is turning color.
Durum conditions in North Dakota increased slightly over the last week but remain well below average with only 37 percent of the crop rated in good to excellent condition and 44 percent rated poor to very poor.
No precipitation fell in the durum region last week and temperatures were above average, conditions that continue to stress the crop.
About three-fourths of the state’s durum is turning color and about 20 percent is rated as being mature, ahead of last year.
Harvest of the earlier planted crop could start in the next week.
