Kansas Wheat Turning Brown Shows Drought Damage for Winter Crops
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The waves of grain on David Schemm’s 5,000 acres planted in west-central Kansas are beginning to turn brown after the driest March in Kansas since 1997 hurt crops.
“If it doesn’t rain, I’m not even sure I’ll have wheat to harvest,” said Schemm, 43, who farms near Sharon Springs. Without above-average precipitation in the next two months, he expects yields to fall as much as 36 percent below average after drought compounded damage from freezing temperatures earlier this month.