Clear skies and hot temperatures – 104 degrees on Wednesday and 102 degrees Thursday – boosted wheat harvest activities across Kingfisher County last week.

Rick Brueggen, local manager of the CHS Elevator east of Okarche at the intersection of Reeding and Countyline roads, estimated Thursday that harvesting was 85 to 90% complete in that area.

Other wheat reception facilities reported harvest progress thanks to helpful weather.

Randall Varnell, manager of the Wheeler Brothers Grain Co. Elevator in Kingfi sher estimated the local harvest was at the 75-80% complete mark.

Debbie Gaither reported wheat had begun coming in to the CHS elevator at Hennessey Thursday after earlier rains had kept producers out of the fields.

Wheat was rolling in at the Cashion Grain and Feed Elevator Thursday with several harvesters at work.

Tim Weber, manager of the Wheeler Brothers Grain Co. Elevator at Omega, reported the harvest was moving along Thursday after a busy day Wednesday with the harvest there at the half-way point.

Chris Townsley, location manager for the Kingfisher CHS Elevator, said harvest was on the downhill side Friday with the harvest at the 80% complete point.

The last few days of dry weather and hot temperatures have really helped.

He said the effects of the dry growing season are being felt now with lots of reports of yields in the 20-bushel-per-acre range.

The Oklahoma Wheat Commission reported the state wheat harvest was gaining traction by midweek despite untimely rains in some areas of the state.

Most of the harvest is complete in northeast Oklahoma and is just starting on limited acres in the Panhan- dle region. The weekly report included the central, northern, northeast and Panhandle locations as harvest has pretty much wrapped up in southern Oklahoma.

Test weights in Central Oklahoma have been ranging all over the board as this region has been plagued with rains throughout harvest, but they are coming in lighter at 55 to 60 pounds per bushel. The average for this region is 58 pounds, which is remarkable given everything the crop has been through.

Yields are also all over the board ranging from the low 20’s to the mid 30’s with some higher yields reported on rare occasions. Producers are really having challenges getting the crop out in this region fighting mud and heavy weed pressures, the Wheat Commission reported.