A cool spring and timely rains produced a winter-wheat crop that could break records in South Dakota.

Yields range from a low of 15 to 25 bushels per acre in pockets of drought in western South Dakota to more than 80 bushels per acre in some of central South Dakota's best wheat territory.

And if a July forecast by the National Agricultural Statistics Service holds true, the state's winter wheat production could set a record.

"The harvest is going very well," Rick Vallery of the producers' group South Dakota Wheat Inc. in Pierre said. "It's going to be above average, with good quality overall and good protein levels. We're hearing a lot of reports of 50 bushels to the acre, a lot of reports. So we're pleased. There's just lots and lots of good, good wheat."

The July forecast from the agricultural statistics service is for an above-average winter-wheat yield of 45 bushels per acre, which would be 9 bushels per acre above 2006. With a projected total harvest area of 1.8 million acres, the forecast per-acre yield would set an overall production record of 81 million bushels.

Vallery said the winter-wheat harvest was more than 50 percent finished, and spring wheat harvest is in the early stages. Winter wheat, a crop that is planted in the fall to give it a head start in the spring, dominates in central and western South Dakota.

John Rickertsen, an Extension agronomist with the West River Agricultural Center in Rapid City, said 40- to 50-bushel-per-acre wheat is common across central and western South Dakota. Pockets of drought diminished yields for some farmers, while better conditions elsewhere more than make up the difference in the average overall, he said.

"There's certainly some 25-bushel wheat out there. We had some in the Scenic area that was running 15 to 25," Rickertsen said. "But there's a lot of 40- to 50-bushel fields. And we had a producer in the Kennebec area at 80 bushels."

Wheat rust reduced yields in some areas, especially in fields that weren't treated with fungicides. Rickertsen said a wheat test plot in the Martin area dropped into 30-bushel range because of rust.

But the winter-wheat crop overall is excellent, and a strong wheat market compounds the good news, he said.

"When you've got $5 (per bushel) wheat, you don't need as many bushels to have things look good," Rickertsen said. "I'm assuming that a lot of this wheat will go to the elevator pretty doggone quick."

South Dakota Wheat Inc. was hosting a delegation from South Korea this week that is interested in buying wheat. The focus was on new varieties of hard white winter wheat that is especially good for noodles.

"We're just getting started with the hard white wheat," Vallery said. "We're working on those markets, so the acres will continue to increase. The hard white makes a noodle that the South Koreans especially like."

Contact Kevin Woster at 394-8413 or kevin.woster@rapidcityjournal.com