Crop & Scouting Update

Jul 19, 2023

Many fields are showing signs of drought stress, where beans have flipped over their leaves to reflect more sunlight and conserve moisture. Drought conditions can also results in plants moving through development stages more quickly and result in shorter plants with smaller leaves. Nodule growth and development may also be impacted, with fewer larger nodules observed on drought-stressed plants. These larger nodules are more resilient to drought stress, but N fixation may be reduced. Peak water uptake for soybeans is at flowering (R1-2), but the most critical time for water uptake is at pod initiation (R3-4) and seed fill (R5-6) stages. Water limitations may also impact nutrient movement into the plant, resulting in deficiency symptoms. Water limitations in pulse and soybean crops →
Several fields are also re-growing from previous hail damage. Now that the crop is at the R3-4 growth stages, hail damage at this time is expected to have a greater impact on yield and maturity than earlier storms. Yield loss estimates due to defoliation and node breakage from hail →

Video: Kansas Wheat Harvest 2026 | Three John Deere S7 700 Combines in Action

Kansas Wheat Harvest 2026 is underway near Alden, Kansas!

In this video, I spend time with Frederick Harvesting, a custom harvesting operation based in Alden, Kansas. Back at their home farm, three new John Deere S7 700 combines equipped with John Deere HDF40 draper heads work through a drought-stricken winter wheat crop while one of the farm's John Deere 8R 370 tractors pulls a Brent 1398 grain cart.

Most of the Frederick Harvesting crew was already busy cutting wheat in southwest Kansas, but these machines remained at home to finish up local fields. Throughout the video, I explain what is happening, discuss the effects of dry conditions on the crop, and capture plenty of aerial footage showing the combines working with the grain elevator at Alden in the background.