Wheat yields consistent in area as harvest moves quickly

Wheat harvest has been moving quickly across Chase County and southwest Nebraska, but rain showers the past two nights will give combines a bit of a break.
Aaron Richards, Gavilon merchandiser, estimated harvest to be 60-70% finished.
Richards said the quality of the wheat brought into Gavilon has been good with weights mostly between 59 and 62.
Protein has been really good, around 11-13%, but Richards said it’s too bad no one is paying a premium.
In many places wheat heads aren’t full, however. Early summer hail and drought has contributed to a 30-50% yield drag. Richards said hailed wheat has been averaging 30-50 bushels and dryland 15-25 bushels.
Tom Luhrs, owner of Luhrs Certified Seed, agreed that weather has taken its toll.
Besides hail and drought, Luhrs said too much wind and temperature fluctuations this spring took its toll.
“All in all, we’re lucky to be cutting wheat,” he said.
Luhrs said 50 bushels from dryland fields this year is phenomenal. He estimates most between 20-40 bushels.
Luhrs has high hopes for irrigated fields that haven’t been hailed to reach 100 bushels. Irrigated fields that have been hailed are hopeful of yields up to 70 bushels, he added.
Northwest of Imperial and north of Wauneta have seen more hail damage. Wauneta area wheat is also more typically dryland than that around Imperial, but Richards said the quality has been consistent across the board.
With all the bad, Luhrs agreed that the quality has been very good and he’s happy with that.