If you're looking at 90-degree weekly temperature swings, too little moisture and way too many questions to bet on your wheat yield just yet, relax. The Kansas Wheat Commission is giving you until April 8 to decide if you want to enter the Kansas Wheat Yield Contest.
Justin Gilpin, chief executive officer of the KWC, says the extra time will allow farmers to evaluate their wheat stands and give the crop a chance to thrive, and thus make important management decisions to maximize yield.
Three $1,000 cash prizes and several potential bonus awards are at stake for wheat growers who enter the 2011 Kansas Wheat Yield Contest, sponsored by the Kansas Wheat Commission and Kansas Association of Wheat Growers.
Producers achieving the top yield receive a $1,000 cash prize and plaque.
Contest winners will be announced next summer. The contest includes three regions: Region 1 (Western Kansas), Region 2 (Central Kansas) and Region 3 (Eastern Kansas).
Corporate sponsors of the Yield Contest include: BASF, Syngenta, SFP, Kansas Wheat Alliance and the Kansas Grain Inspection Service. Many of these partners are offering special rewards for qualified entrants.
For those who are interested in accepting the challenge, more details about the 2011 Kansas Wheat Yield Contest can be found online at www.kansaswheat.org, by requesting an information packet via e-mail at kswheat@kswheat.com, or by writing to Kansas Wheat, 217 Southwind Place, Manhattan, Kan. 66503.