Great Bend Tribune
Published July 26, 2025
As of Tuesday, July 22nd the drought monitor report indicates a decrease in dry conditions. Stafford, Pawnee, and Rice counties are still totally out of dry conditions. Barton County is still abnormally dry with the exception of a sliver in the extreme northern part of the county. The state is up to 70% totally out of dry conditions and about 29% just abnormally dry. The six-to ten-day outlook (July 29 to August 2) indicates a 40 to 50% chance of leaning above normal for temperatures and a 40 to 50% chance of leaning above normal for precipitation. The eight to fourteen-day outlook (July 31 to August 6) indicates near normal temperatures and 33 to 40% chance of leaning above normal for precipitation.
Wheat harvest just wrapped up and its already time to start thinking about the 2026 wheat crop. So, what should a producer be considering?
- To get it out of the way, producers should ensure there is no volunteer wheat for two weeks before planting for two miles around an incoming wheat field. Not just their fields but their neighbors.
- If they kept seed for planting, pay to have it cleaned. Unless they are grazing, strongly consider having the seed treated with an insecticide and fungicide.
- A producer will evaluate how the varieties grown performed and evaluate potential varieties. On significant acreage, it’s always recommended to plant more than one variety. It pays to examine wheat performance test yield data and other characteristics such as disease and insect tolerance, maturity, and acid soil tolerance for some fields.
- When deciding what fields are going to wheat, evaluate the herbicide history for any potential carryover. What is the weed history for the field. Determining what will follow wheat helps in determining wheat herbicides. The goal is to start with a weed free field. What are the best control options?
- Tillage or no tillage must be decided. What is the residue level? Ideally, tillage should be at least minimized and hopefully eliminated. Residue conserves soil moisture; increases infiltration and moisture holding capacity; decreases soil evaporative loss and soil loss from wind and water erosion; and helps mediate soil temperatures and protects the growing point over winter. Decreasing tillage works best when not planting wheat after wheat in terms of pest control.
- Producers need to determine the soil pH and nutrient status of the soil. For much of the area, especially north of the river, acid soils aren’t a concern. Soil testing is suggested, especially without a recent soil test for base cations such as potassium, calcium, magnesium, and on sandy soils micronutrients such as chloride. Nitrogen testing is a good idea but is a separate test conducted as close to planting and before side dressing as possible. On low organic matter and sand soils a sulfate-sulfur test, similar to nitrogen, is a good idea.
Naturally, there’s more but this is a start.