The Superior Express -

Producers, seed dealers, agribusinesses and financial institutions gathered at five stops around north central Kansas for the annual KSU-Post Rock Extension District Wheat Demonstration Plot Tours! "We are fortunate to have special cooperators around the district that are willing to put in the extra time to provide local data for producers of North Central Kansas," according to Sandra Wick, Post Rock Extension District, crop production agent."

Wick, along with K-State Research and Extension agronomists and plant pathologists, provided participants information about specific wheat varieties as well as the growing conditions during the growing season along with disease and insect concerns and issues. "The variety plots provide a visual demonstration of how crop varieties perform in a particular area of the state along with yield potential of that variety," Wick explains. "This is known as "seeing is believing!" "Producers who observe the demonstrations and the latest methods or practices, then may apply them to their own situations," added Wick. Producers can then compare the yield data from the many K-State experiment fields, to this local yield data, in selecting the most adaptive and productive wheat varieties.

The tour covered five counties including Jewell, Lincoln, Mitchell, Osborne and Smith with 31 to 36 different wheat varieties in each of the demonstration plots. Cooperators included Calvin and Josh Bohnert, Jewell County; Brady and Joe Coover, Lincoln County; Marty Fletchall, Mitchell County; Kelsey Remus, Osborne County along with David and Kaid Sasse for Smith County.

Plans are to harvest each of the wheat plots and distribute the yield data along with all interested parties. Watch for this yield data on Post Rock Extension District website at http://www.postrock. ksu.edu.