Kansas wheat harvest nears finish as yields vary across the state

Kansas wheat harvest continued moving toward the finish line this week as steady weather gave producers a needed window to keep combines rolling.

The latest Day 11 Kansas Wheat Harvest Report said many producers expected to wrap up harvest by the end of the week, though field conditions and final results continued to vary sharply by area.

In Sherman County, producer Mike Sieck said his operation took its first load around June 18 before rain slowed work for nearly a week. He estimated dryland wheat harvest there was about 75 to 80 percent complete, with plans to finish within the week.

Sieck said drought, freeze damage and hail all played a role in uneven results. Some wheat was left standing for cover, while harvested fields produced a wide range of yields.

“There has been a lot of variability, and a lot of wheat that has just been left for cover,” Sieck said in the report. “Drought, freeze damage and hail led to highly variable yields and a lot of abandoned acres in the area.”

Test weights in Sieck’s area ranged from 60 to 65 pounds, while yields ranged from seven to 35 bushels per acre. Varieties noted in the report included KS Tradition and KS Territory from Kansas Wheat Alliance, along with WestBred varieties 4792, 4795 and 4347.

Sieck also encouraged producers to line up seed for the coming year, noting that some wheat varieties could be in short supply ahead of fall drilling.

In Marshall County, Paul Winkler, location manager for Ag Partners, said the local harvest was nearly complete after the elevator took its first load on June 30.

“We have one farmer left that is cutting, but he’ll finish up today,” Winkler said in the report.

Winkler said the location had taken in about half as many bushels as last year. He said wheat acres in the area have continued to decline, making year-to-year comparisons more difficult.

Reported test weights in Marshall County ranged from 58 to 63 pounds, with yields averaging between 50 and 65 bushels per acre. Winkler said a late frost appeared to limit tillering and created another challenge for local farmers.

The 2026 Kansas Wheat Harvest Reports are provided by the Kansas Wheat Commission, Kansas Association of Wheat Growers, Kansas Grain and Feed Association and the Kansas Cooperative Council. Harvest updates can be followed on X using #wheatharvest26.