Kansas--#1 Wheat state
Kansas has long been known as the wheat state, and with good reason. Kansas is the nation's leading wheat producer, with records of wheat production actually predating statehood. There are indications that wheat was produced in the area as early as 1839.
On average, Kansas produces more wheat than any other state. Nearly one-fifth of all wheat grown in the United States is grown in Kansas. And, Kansas ranks first in the nation in flour milling, wheat gluten production and wheat stored. Roughly one-third of Kansas' 63,000 farmers grow wheat. Normally, Kansas farmers produce about 400 million bushels of wheat a year, with a production value that hovers around $1 billion.
Many Kansas farmers continue to grow hard red winter wheat, a variety that was introduced to the state by Russian Mennonite immigrants in 1874. It is planted and sprouts in the fall, becomes dormant in winter, grows again in spring and is harvested in early summer. It produces a high-protein flour that is best for making bread. Kansas produces 40 percent of all hard red winter wheat grown in the U.S. Kansas farmers also grow soft red winter wheat, which is useful in flat breads, cakes, pastries and crackers, and hard white wheat, which is useful in yeast breads, hard rolls, tortillas and noodles.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services say that Americans need from six to 11 servings of grain products a day. The wheat kernel is a storehouse of nutrients essential to human health. It is a good source of complex carbohydrates and a moderate source of protein. Wheat foods are a source of dietary fiber, with the wheat bran and endosperm containing mainly insoluble fiber.
Wheat Harvest
The Kansas wheat harvest begins in June and is usually complete within a few weeks. It begins in southern Kansas near the Oklahoma border and progresses north and west to Colorado and Nebraska.
Karnal bunt
For several years, wheat growers in Kansas have been concerned about a plant disease, Karnal bunt, which has been found in Arizona, California, and Texas. Karnal bunt can affect wheat yield and quality, but its primary impact is economic: Over 50 wheat-importing countries do not allow Karnal bunt-infected wheat to cross their borders.
USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has quarantined areas in Arizona, California and Texas, where Karnal bunt has been found, to prevent its spread to other states. Custom harvest and seed cleaning equipment used in regulated areas must undergo USDA-certified cleaning and disinfecting before being taken out of the regulated area. USDA also prohibits grain grown in an area regulated for the fungus from being used as seed outside the regulated area.
USDA initiated a national survey in 1996 to provide data to support the Karnal bunt-free status of grain exports from the United States. Using five-year average production figures, grain samples are taken from local grain elevators in every county in the United States that produces 1 million bushels or more of wheat. Samples may be collected from counties producing less than 1 million bushels by forming a group of adjacent counties whose combined production is more than 1 million bushels. Participation in the survey is voluntary.
The Kansas Department of Agriculture’s Plant Protection and Weed Control program has worked with federal and state partners to educate Kansas wheat growers on how to protect their fields from Karnal bunt. Informational products that discuss best management practices for obtaining seed and for cleaning equipment are available that wheat producers can use to reduce the potential for contamination from Karnal bunt.
We work with custom harvesters to educate them about equipment cleaning requirements and with producers to encourage them to ask for equipment cleaning verification.