05 Aug Janel: South Dakota Spring Wheat

Pierre, South Dakota – We’ve been staying busy cutting spring wheat but I think we’ll work ourselves out of work pretty soon. All I want to do is keep on cutting wheat and work all day every day. The cutting conditions have been good except for the occasional evening rain shower that has shut us down a time or two. The spring wheat we’ve cut has been in the 40 to 60 bushels per acre range. The test weight has been 61 to 63 pounds per bushel and the protein 12.0 to 16.4 percent. We did cut one field of spring wheat where the test weight was low (50 to 55 pounds) but the protein high (16+). It didn’t receive rain at the right time and didn’t yield as well as expected either.

It looks to me that there are more soybeans planted than ever in this area. There’s also a lot of corn planted and sunflowers too. There seemed to be less winter wheat planted than ever.  The spring wheat acres will disappear quickly with a hot and dry forecast.  I am glad to be here and have always enjoyed cutting wheat in this area of South Dakota.  We will be going to North Dakota next on our harvest route.

Beautiful South Dakota spring wheat.  Photo by Janel Schemper.

Cutting spring wheat in South Dakota.  Photo by Janel Schemper.

Dad and I cutting spring wheat in South Dakota.  Photo by Janel Schemper.

Schemper Harvesting cutting spring wheat.  Photo by Janel Schemper.

Cutting spring wheat in South Dakota.  Photo by Janel Schemper.

It looks like it may or may not rain here.  We’ll see.  Photo by Janel Schemper.

Maggie Moo and I waiting on wheat to dry.  Photo by Janel Schemper.

Looks like rain on the way.  Photo by Janel Schemper.

I just want to get the wheat cut before it rains.  Photo by Janel Schemper.

Cutting spring wheat in South Dakota.  Photo by Janel Schemper.

Schemper Harvesting cutting spring wheat in South Dakota.  Photo by Janel Schemper.

Cutting spring wheat in South Dakota.  Photo by Janel Schemper.

My combine shadow.  Photo by Janel Schemper.

All Aboard Wheat Harvest is sponsored by High Plains Journal and John Deere.  Janel Schemper can be reached at janel@allaboardharvest.com.