This season’s brutal cold brought concerns of winter wheat kill in the fragile crop.
One Kansas State University Extension Specialist says that air temperatures dropped to extreme lows, but soil temperatures did not.
Romulo Lollato said that snow in North Kansas went a long way, protecting emerging wheat from that winter cold. However, other parts of the state were not as lucky.
Combined with this year’s late emergence, nearly 25% of the crop is a cause for concern. While 25% of Kansas wheat crop is considered vulnerable to winter kill, it is not widespread.
Lollato says that he is confident the other 75% will make it.
Related Stories
Expect incremental near-term lift for feed grains, proteins, and ethanol as tariff cuts and smoother approvals translate into real orders.
If confirmed, early Chinese buys tighten nearby Gulf/PNW capacity and could bump basis in export-oriented regions.
The President’s trip to Asia this week follows a trade mission by the Iowa Soybean Association. Farmers say they were reminded that U.S. soybeans have an international reputation that can be easy to take for granted here at home.
Export volumes remain positive year-to-date, but weaker soybean loadings and slowing wheat movement hint at early bottlenecks in global demand or river logistics. Farmers should watch basis levels and freight conditions as export competition heats up.
Farmers who rely on H-2A workers will see a few key changes to speed up the process and make it fairer. On the ground, producers say labor issues create shortfalls in otherwise productive harvests.
John Appel with the Farmers Business Network (FBN) joins us for a closer look at the 2026 Crop Protection Market Outlook Report.
