According to Issue 631 May 1st, 2017 of the K-State Agronomy eUpdates, a storm that produced between 1 to 21 inches of snow covered growing wheat in Western Kansas, an area that holds 40% of the state’s wheat crop.
A combination of below freezing temperatures for three straight nights and the weight of the snow may have caused irreparable damage and is almost sure to reduce yields.
If the stems of the wheat broke during the snowfall producers should expect even further reduced yields. The extent of the damage will not be known until a week to 10 days after the snow melts. According to the report, the yield loss will depend on the stage of crop development, the severty of stem breaking, and the number of hours of below-freezing temperatures observed.
