After enduring drought, freeze and hail, the moment of truth has arrived for the 2018 winter wheat crop in the Golden Belt and the State of Kansas.

Jeff Mauler Audio

That’s Great Bend COOP Seed Manager Jeff Mauler who was a guest Wednesday during the early morning show on 1590 KVGB and 97.7 FM.

According to USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, the winter wheat condition in the state last week rated 16 percent very poor, 34 poor, 37 fair, 12 good, and 1-percent excellent. Winter wheat jointed was 52 percent, well behind 89 last year and 77-percent for the five-year average. Headed was 2 percent, well behind 41 last year and 24-percent average.

As for fall planting, Mauler says producers in this area have been very busy putting seed in the ground.

Jeff Mauler Audio

According to the USDA, corn planted in Kansas was 27 percent, behind 36 last year and the 35-percent average. Emerged was 6 percent, behind 11 last year and the 14-percent average.

Soybeans planted was 2 percent, equal to both last year and the average.