Rain Helps Wheat Planting In Western Kansas

Recents rain in far western Kansas have bolstered topsoil moisture conditions as winter wheat planting gets underway across the state.

Kansas Wheat marketing director Aaron Harries says people have a reason to be more pleased.

He says conditions have improved dramatically over last fall, though technically much of the western third of the state remains in a drought.

The National Agricultural Statistics Service says about 70 percent of west-central Kansas has adequate to surplus topsoil moisture. In northwest Kansas, about 65 percent falls in that category. Some areas in western Kansas received up to 5 inches of rain in recent weeks.

Even southwest Kansas — which missed the heavier rains — is still in better shape than a year ago with 37 percent adequate to surplus topsoil moisture