NDAgConnection.com – Hot and dry conditions continue to allow producers to make steady progress on the 2022 hard red spring wheat harvest in North Dakota and the region that includes Minnesota, South Dakota and Montana. As of Sunder, NASS estimates that 62% of the North Dakota crop was harvested, still well behind the normal pace of 80% for this date, but up by nearly 30 percentage points from the previous week. Some areas in the southern half of North Dakota are completed with harvest, or near completion, and most northern areas are one-third to one-half completed.

Extended forecasts look favorable for continued good harvest progress in the state. In the region, harvest progress ranges from 57% complete in Minnesota, to 87 percent complete in Montana and 97% complete in South Dakota. Nationally, about 70% of the spring wheat crop has been harvested, up from 50% the previous week, but still slightly behind the five-year average of 83 percent.

Harvest reports from producers and elevators continue to indicate above average yields in most areas, although some areas are reporting more disappointing yields. In those areas, a combination of extended heat and dryness in August, grasshopper pressures or remnants of the late, challenging planting season, especially for the later maturing portion of the crop have impacted crops. Quality of the crop overall has been excellent with limited disease or harvest rain impact, and strong test weights. Protein has been more variable compared to recent years, so difficult to pick an average at this stage of harvest, but most areas are reporting protein levels that are 0.5% to 1% below the normal for their areas with a wider range in proteins.

Harvest of the North Dakota durum crop has reached the half way point, up from 31 percent the previous week, but still well behind the more typical 70 percent for this date. In Montana, harvest is 81 percent completed, well ahead of their five-year average of two-thirds, and up from just 60 percent the previous week. Exceptionally warm temperatures for this time of the year, and dry conditions have been favorable for harvest and hastening the maturity of the later developing portion of the crop. Harvest reports indicate average to above average yields in most areas. Quality has been very good for test weights, and kernel soundness in most areas, but lower than expected protein levels and hard counts are being reported in parts of the region.