RUNNING HEAD: WINTER WHEAT HARVEST VALUES AND PRE-DORMANCY

PRECIPITATION

Winter Wheat Harvest Values Related to the Amount of Precipitation received by Winter Wheat
in the Period between the Crops Planting and Dormancy in Thomas, Sherman, Logan, and
Wallace Counties from 1996 to 2007
Braden Allmond
Fort Hays State University

WINTER WHEAT HARVEST VALUES AND PRE-DORMANCY PRECIPITATION

Abstract: Spring and winter varieties of wheat are commonly studied by agronomists,
horticulturalists, and biologists; however, very little research is available on the effect that
precipitation early in the growing season of winter wheat has on the subsequent harvest of the
crop. Using climate and agricultural data, four graphs were constructed comparing precipitation
received early in the growing season of winter wheat and the subsequent yield of the harvested
winter wheat crop using values from 1996 to 2007. The hypothesis of this study, if the amount of
precipitation received by a winter wheat crop between its planting and later dormancy increases,
then the total yield of the crop will also increase, was tested using the Pearson product-moment
correlation coefficient on several graphs produced by the study, and was further scrutinized by
using a coefficient of determination, or R2 value, on those same graphs. Only one of the four
counties examined in the study, Thomas County, had a statistically significant positive
correlation coefficient, 0.556, between precipitation received by winter wheat early in its
growing season and the total harvested amount of the crop. Sherman Countys graph had a
negative correlation of -0.201; however, the value was not statistically significant. The other two
counties, Logan and Wallace Counties, had correlation coefficients of 0.143 and 0.190, neither of
which were statistically significant. The weak and negative correlation coefficients most likely
were caused by bad harvest years that were not the direct effect of the early season precipitation
received by winter wheat. Furthermore, the dataset of this study was undersized, and if it
included more counties over a longer span of time or used statewide averages instead of county
averages, it is likely that better, more supportive results would have been found.

WINTER WHEAT HARVEST VALUES AND PRE-DORMANCY PRECIPITATION

Introduction
Motivation: Wheat is a commodity that fulfills many roles in American life. Wheat is an
ingredient in everyday food items, like bread, pasta, and confectionaries, is traded in stocks on
the global stock market, and is premium cattle pasture (United States Department of Agriculture
Economic Research Service, 2013; Bruce, Eureka, Kvansnicka, & Torell, 1999). Wheat also has
a long-standing structural and societal industry built up around it that adds thousands of jobs
across the United States annually, single-handedly created a competitive market for the most
effective winter wheat seeds, and whose sale contributes to financially supporting thousands of
farmers and their families (Washington Wheat Commission, 2009; Cavalieri, Kolady, Spielman,
& Rao, 2014; Hoppe, Korb, & MacDonald, 2013). Because of winter wheats diverse and farreaching impact on the Kansas economy, predicting the magnitude of a winter wheat crops
impact on the broader market of wheat goods can lead to more efficient trading of wheat.
Knowing this, farmers could also more easily determine whether or not they should plant winter
wheat (Outlaw, Raulston, & Richardson, 2006).
To achieve the goal of predicting winter wheats impact on the economy, it is necessary
to better understand the relationship between precipitation received by winter wheat and the
yield of winter wheat. Furthermore, while past research conducted on winter wheat planting
methods, nitrogen uptake, genetic varietys effects on productivity, and photorespiratory activity
is extensive (Nielsen & Vigil, 2013; Guo, Shi, Wang, Yu, & Zhang, 2014; Annicchiarico et al.,
2015; Andralojc et al., 2010), studies pertaining to soil moisture and precipitation can only be
found intermittently, and are typically older than other, more current wheat related studies
(Anderson et al., 2002; Amir & Sinclair, 1991; Alldredge, Schillinger, Schofstoll, 2008). This
lack of research is problematic for current researchers studying the relationship between wheat

WINTER WHEAT HARVEST VALUES AND PRE-DORMANCY PRECIPITATION

and precipitation because the older a resource is, the less viable the resource is as a tool to inform
ideas, methods, and analyses of the subject. Therefore, it is necessary for more research to be
conducted on winter wheat and its relationships with varying water sources. Understanding the
relationship that winter wheat has with the precipitation it receives at the beginning of its life
cycle could give farmers, ranchers, and consumers insight into how they should take advantage
of the next years wheat harvest and subsequent products.
Background Information: Winter wheat is typically planted in the period from late August to
mid-October (United States Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service,
1997). However, the late August to mid-October period is only a general guideline utilized by
farmers; farmers regularly adjust their planting schedules according to the weather. The harvest
months of winter wheat change in the same manner that planting months do. The harvesting
months typically cover the period from mid-May to mid-August (United States Department of
Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service, 1997).
A bushel test weight is the weight, measured in pounds, of a standard bushel that is
representative of all bushels for the years crop of winter wheat (United States Department of
Agriculture, 2014). Kansas winter wheat test weights used in this study were collected from 1996
to 2007 (Table 1) (United States Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics
Service, 2014).
The first freeze of a season is the first day of that season in which temperatures fall below
0C (Edwards, n.d.). For this study, different median-first-freeze dates are used for each county
to determine when it is likely that the winter wheat crop will stop using the precipitation that it
receives immediately as the crop receives it (Table 2) (Utah Climate Station, 2015). Dormancy in
winter wheat crops is a period of the plants lifecycle where its growth is completely stopped

WINTER WHEAT HARVEST VALUES AND PRE-DORMANCY PRECIPITATION

(Edwards, n.d.). However, winter wheat can briefly emerge from dormancy if temperatures rise
above 0C after the plants initial dormancy. Furthermore, this phenomenon can occur and
reoccur until there are multiple consecutive days where the temperature of the soil that the seed
resides in is <0C (Huner & Hurry, 1991). Precipitation received by winter wheat after the first
freeze of the season can still supplement the growth of the winter wheat in its intermittent and
unpredictable periods of non-dormancy; however, this precipitation is not included in the study
due to limited data, though it is noted that this may contribute to error in the report (Edwards,
n.d.).
In the growth cycle of winter wheat, it is vital to the development of the crop that it
receive water either naturally from precipitation or artificially through irrigation (Johnson,
Krupke, Mansfield, & Wise, 2011). Without an adequate source of water, the soil that the winter
wheat crop is planted in is unlikely to provide enough moisture to maintain the healthy
nourishment of the plant (Gholipoor, Soltani, & Zeinali, 2006). Drought, the lack of adequate
water, results in the premature death of the crop. Although it is imperative that a winter wheat
crop receive enough water for it to produce a large harvest, it is important that the crop does not
receive too much water either (Anderson et al., 2002). If a field of winter wheat receives too
much water the soil of the field may erode, causing seed and plant loss that is detrimental to the
crops total harvest value. Furthermore, the seeds in soil oversaturated with water may also
become hosts for mold or fungi due to the overly moist and dark environment; this results in the
loss of part of or all of the crop (Olson, Shroyer, & Wolf, 2011).
Objective: The objective of this study is to determine the relationship between varying amounts
of precipitation received by winter wheat in the period between its planting and the beginning of
its dormancy on the amount of winter wheat harvested. The hypothesis of the study is that if the

WINTER WHEAT HARVEST VALUES AND PRE-DORMANCY PRECIPITATION

amount of precipitation received by winter wheat in its pre-dormant period of growth increases
then that winter wheat crops amount of bushels harvested will also increase. The null hypothesis
is that if precipitation received by winter wheat in the period between its planting and later
dormancy increases then there will be no effect on the harvest amount of the crop.
Methodology
Datasets:
Precipitation Data
All of the individual county precipitation datasets used in this study were created from
one larger dataset compiled by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
The larger dataset contained monthly precipitation totals in millimeters from the years 1995 to
2006. This data was collected for each of the four counties with each countys data being
collected by a county data-collection station residing within that county. The names of the data
collection stations used in this study for Thomas, Sherman, Logan, and Wallace Counties are
Colby 1 SW KS US, Goodland and Renner Field KS US, Winona KS US, and Sharon Springs
KS US, respectively (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Centers for
Environmental Information, 2015).
Wheat Data
All of the individual county datasets were made using a larger, conglomerate dataset of
all Kansas Counties. From the larger dataset from the National Agricultural Statistics Service
(NASS), headed by the United States Department of Agriculture, winter wheat harvest totals,
measured in bushels, for non-irrigated fields planted with winter wheat after summer fallow,
were collected for the counties of Thomas, Sherman, Logan, and Wallace in northwestern
Kansas (United States Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service, 2015).

WINTER WHEAT HARVEST VALUES AND PRE-DORMANCY PRECIPITATION

Processing: Both datasets were downloaded from their respective online databases into
Microsoft Excel spreadsheets. Using the software Microsoft Excel 2013, the datasets were
reorganized to simplify data manipulation by converting precipitation on individual dates in a
month into total precipitation in a complete month. The winter wheat yield data was converted
from bushels to kilograms using the following conversion factors, and also utilizing a table of
bushel test weight values (Table 1).

and

2.205

The precipitation data was reduced down to only the months of September and October
for the years 1995 to 2006. Then, the total precipitation was calculated for those two months for
each year of the dataset. Using winter wheat harvested values in kilograms and precipitation
values in millimeters, a scatter plot graph was made for each of the four counties in the study.
The graphs made were graphs of precipitation received by winter wheat from the time of its
planting to when it began dormancy plotted against the total harvest of the winter wheat. In the
graph, the winter wheat harvested variable was placed on the y-axis, and the precipitation
variable was placed on the x-axis.
The time at which most of a winter wheat crop went into dormancy was determined using
the median-first-freeze date (Table 2) of the counties as a flexible beginning point of intermittent
dormancy. It was determined that dormancy would most likely be interrupted and re-engaged
multiple times throughout the month of October since Kansass landscape warms up quickly in
the daytime and cools overnight (Bivens, Goodin, Knapp, & Mitchen, 1995). Furthermore, due
to the increasing amount of days with temperatures below 0C after October, it was determined
that the vast majority of winter wheat plants would be in full, continuous dormancy at the
beginning of November. Therefore, the total monthly precipitation of September and October

WINTER WHEAT HARVEST VALUES AND PRE-DORMANCY PRECIPITATION

were used as the values for precipitation received by winter wheat in the growth period after
planting and before continuous, uninterrupted dormancy for all datasets.
Errors: Error bars of 139,000 kilograms were added to the y-axes of the points on the scatter
plot graphs. The value of 139,000 kilograms was found by identifying the value of bushels
harvested with the fewest significant figures, 5,180,000, dividing the number place occupied by
the last significant figure by two, multiplying the received value by the greatest value of tested
bushel weight, 61.5 pounds per bushel, and dividing the subsequent value by 2.205 pounds per
kilogram, which is in keeping with standard error analysis practice. The resulting value of
139,000 kilograms is the greatest amount of error possible for the data selected because it was
derived from the largest amount of error possible in the number of winter wheat bushels counted
for the years 1996 to 2007 (Taylor, 1991).
Error bars of 0.1 millimeters were added to the x-axes of the scatter plot graphs. The error
was found by dividing the number place of the last reported value by two and propagating that
error throughout the months used for this study. The error of the total precipitation of the months
of September and October, each 0.05 millimeters, were summed together to find the total error
of their summed values. These calculations resulted in an error of 0.1 millimeters, and error
bars were added to the x-axes of the points on the graphs of precipitation against winter wheat
harvest totals to reflect the possible error (Global Historical Climatology Network Database,
n.d.).
Analysis: The correlation coefficients of the different counties winter wheat harvest data and
precipitation data were found by using the cor.test function of a free statistical software named
R. The individual datasets respective significances were determined using the function within R
by first identifying the X variable, then the Y, and simply initiating the function, which

WINTER WHEAT HARVEST VALUES AND PRE-DORMANCY PRECIPITATION

calculated the correlation coefficient as well as the p-value of the correlation coefficient. Trend
lines were added to the graphs of winter wheat harvest values versus precipitation using
Microsoft Excel to show the strength of correlation. A correlation of determination value, or R2
value, was also added to each graph to give further meaning to the graphs.
Results: The correlation coefficients calculated for the graphs of precipitation versus winter
wheat harvested were found for the data of all four counties studied in this project and are
recorded in Table 3. For Thomas County (Figure 1), the correlation coefficient was 0.556, which
is a moderate correlation. Thomas Countys correlation coefficient had a p-value of 0.06,
meaning that its correlation is statistically significant at a confidence level of 94%. The
correlation coefficient for Sherman County (Figure 2) was -0.201. Sherman Countys correlation
coefficient was the only negative correlation coefficient calculated from the four counties data.
Logan County (Figure 3) had a correlation coefficient of 0.143, which is a weak correlation.
Wallace County (Figure 4) also had a weak correlation coefficient: 0.190. The correlation
coefficients of Sherman, Logan, and Wallace Counties were all too weak to be statistically
significant. Furthermore, Sherman, Logan, and Wallace Counties p-values were 0.53, 0.56, and
0.66, respectively; their weak and negative correlations were most likely due to random chance.
Furthermore, the R2 values of the counties supported the findings that Sherman, Logan, and
Wallace Counties correlations were due to random chance. Sherman, Logan, and Wallace
Counties all had R2 values less than 0.05. Thomas County had an R2 value of 0.309, meaning
that roughly 31% of its winter wheat harvested values were determined by the amount of
precipitation the county received in the months of September and October.

WINTER WHEAT HARVEST VALUES AND PRE-DORMANCY PRECIPITATION

10

Discussion and Conclusion

Discussion: The results of Thomas County supports the hypothesis of this study, which is that as
precipitation received by winter wheat between its planting and its dormancy increases the total
amount of winter wheat harvested will also increase. Contrastingly, the other three counties
studied all produced correlations between precipitation and winter wheat harvest values that were
too small to be significant, and, therefore, did not support the hypothesis. However, the
correlation coefficients of the three counties approach statistical significance when harvest
values for the years 2004-2006 are omitted from the graphs. The counties correlation
coefficients approach significance when certain harvest years are omitted because those harvest
years omitted are harvest years where winter wheat harvest values were low due to nonprecipitation factors or precipitation factors in a period of the winter wheats life cycle other than
the period between planting and dormancy of the winter wheat crop.
Non-precipitation factors that may have caused the low winter wheat harvests are
extreme air temperatures or other extreme weather events that could have damaged winter wheat
fields, like hail or high winds (Balla et al., 2011). Other factors could include pests like field
mice, raccoons, and aphids (Backoulou, Elliot, Giles, & Royer, 2014). The winter wheat fields
also may have been intentionally overgrazed by cattle that the planter placed in the field (Bruce,
Eureka, Kvansnicka, & Torell, 1999). Possibly, several winter wheat fields were simultaneously
left fallow to naturally regain soil moisture, resulting in a deficit of winter wheat compared to
years prior (Anderson et al., 2002). Alternatively, any of the previously mentioned scenarios
happened independently of one another on many separate fields, resulting in a winter wheat
harvest below the yearly average, thus contributing to lowering the correlation coefficients of the
graphs.

WINTER WHEAT HARVEST VALUES AND PRE-DORMANCY PRECIPITATION

11

Conclusion: The dataset of the study was very limited, which prevents the results from lending
strong support to either the hypothesis or null hypothesis of this study. With a greater number of
data points and a greater number of counties included, the results of the study may have been
able to lend greater strength to supporting the hypothesis or may show more evidence in support
of the null hypothesis. In future research, a larger dataset should be used to more strongly
represent a positive correlation, or lack thereof. In this study, the results support both the original
hypothesis and the null hypothesis, which means more data are required. As a consideration,
higher resolution data may improve the final result of the study by allowing more comprehensive
conclusions to be drawn from the data. The results of the study would also have a greater impact
on future studies if more variables than only early-season precipitation were analyzed when
determining the impact of early season factors on the total amount of the winter wheat crop
harvested. Due to the small size of the dataset, the results of this study are inconclusive.

WINTER WHEAT HARVEST VALUES AND PRE-DORMANCY PRECIPITATION

12

References
Alldredge, J. R., Schillinger, W. F., & Schofstoll, S. E. (2008). Predicting wheat grain yields
based on available water. Field Crops Research, 109 (1), 45-49. Retrieved from
http://cru.cahe.wsu.edu/CEPublications/EM049E/EM049E.pdf
Amir, J., & Sinclair, T. R. (1991). A model of water limitation on spring wheat growth and yield.
Field Crops Research, 28 (1), 59-69. doi: 10.1016/0378-4290(91)90074-6
Anderson, R. L., Benjamin, J. G., Bowman, R. A., Halvorson, A. D., Nielsen, D. C., & Vigil, M.
F. (2002). Cropping system influence on planting water content and yield of winter
wheat. Agronomy Journal, 94 (5), 962-967. Retrieved from
http://www.ars.usda.gov/SP2UserFiles/Place/30100000/2002Documents/2002/378%2020
02%20Nielsen%20%20Agron%20J.pdf
Andralojc, P. J., Condon, A. G., Furbank, R. T., Parry, M. A. J., Price, G. D., Raines, C., . . .
Zhu, X. (2010). Raising yield potential of wheat. II. Increasing photosynthetic capacity
and efficiency. Experimental Biology, 62 (2), 453-467. doi: 10.1093/jxb/erq304
Annicchiarico, P., Clarke, S., Doring, T. F., Haigh, Z., Jones, H. E, Pearce, H., . . . Zhan, J.
(2015). Comparative analysis of performance and stability among composite cross
populations, variety mixtures and pure lines of winter wheat in organic and conventional
cropping systems. Field Crops Research, 183, 235-245. doi: 10.1016/j.fcr.2015.08.009
Backoulou, G. F., Elliot, N. C., Giles, K. L., & Royer, T. A. (2014). Aphids and parasitoids in
wheat and nearby canola fields in central Okloahoma (Abstract). Southwester
Entomologists, 39 (1), 23-28. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.3958/059.039.0103

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13

Bivens, R. E., Goodin, D. G., Knapp, M. C., & Mitchen, J. E. (1995). Climate and weather atlas
of Kansas, an introduction (educational series 12) (pp. 16-17). Lawrence, KS: Kansas
Geological Survery. ISBN: 1-58806-135-3
Bruce, B., Eureka, W. R., Kvasnicka, B., & Torell, R. (1999). How good is wheat pasture for
winter grazing lightweight calves? University of Nevada Cooperative Extension.
Retrieved from https://www.unce.unr.edu/publications/files/ag/other/fs9940.pdf
Cavalieri, A. J., Kolday, D. E., Spielman, D. J., & Rao, N. C. (2014). Structure, competition, and
policy in Indias seed and agriculture biotechnology industry. The Cereal System
Initiative for South Asia. Retrieved from http://csisa.org/wpcontent/uploads/sites/2/2014/09/Research-Note-3.pdf
Edwards, J., (n.d.) Factors effecting wheat germination and stand establishment in hot soils.
Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service, Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural
Resources, Oklahoma State University. PSS-2256-2 Retrieved from
http://wheat.okstate.edu/wheat-management/seeding/PSS-2256.pdf
Gholipoor, M., Soltani, A., & Zeinali, E. (2006). Seed reserve utilization and seeding growth of
wheat as affected by drought and salinity. Environmental and Experimental Botany, 55
(1), 195-200. doi: 10.1016/j.envexpbot.2009.10.012
Global Historical Climatological Network Database (n.d.). Global historical climatological
network database monthly summaries. Retrieved from
http://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/cdo/documentation/GHCNDMS_documentation.pd
f

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14

Hoppe, R. A., Korb, P., & MacDonald, J. M. (2013). Farm size and organization of U.S. crop
farming. United States Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service, Economic
Research Report Number 152. Retrieved from
http://www.ers.usda.gov/media/1156726/err152.pdf
Huner, N. P.A., & Hurry, V. M. (1991). Low growth temperature affects a differential inhibition
of photosynthesis in spring and winter wheat. Plant Physiology, 96 (2), 491-497. ISSN:
0032-0889
Johnson, B., Krupke, C., Mansfield, C., & Wise, K. (2011). Managing wheat by growth stage.
Purdue Agriculture. Retrieved from https://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/id/id422.pdf
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Centers for Environmental
Information (2015). Online climate data for Thomas, Sherman, Logan, and Wallace
Kansas Counties from 1995 to 2006. (.csv) Available from
http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/cdo-web/review
Olson, B., Shroyer, J. P., & Wolf, E. D. (2011). Wheat Disease Identification (pp. 21). Fargo,
ND: North Dakota State University Extension Service. Retrieved from
https://www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/plantsci/smgrains/pp1552.pdf
Outlaw, J. L., Raulson, J. M., & Richardson J. W. (2006). Impact of wheat industry on the U.S.
economy. Agricultural and Food Policy Center Department of Agricultural Economics,
Texas A&M University College Station, Texas. Retrieved from
http://www.wheatworld.org/wp-content/uploads/2006-NAWG-Report-on-Impact-of-theWheat-Industry.pdf

WINTER WHEAT HARVEST VALUES AND PRE-DORMANCY PRECIPITATION

15

Taylor, J. R. (1991). An introduction to error analysis: The study of uncertainty in physical

measurement (2nd ed.). Sausalito, CA: University Science Books.
Utah Climate Station (2015). United States freeze dates, Kansas. (.csv) Utah Climate Station.
Retrieved from
https://climate.usurf.usu.edu/reports/freezeDates.php?ntwk=GHCN&sSubmit=Select&ac
ronym=US&sSubmit=Select&g_state=KS
United States Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service (2013). Wheats role in the
U.S. diet. Retrieved from http://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/crops/wheat/wheats-role-in-theus-diet.aspx
United States Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service (2015). Wheat
harvests by bushel for Thomas, Sherman, Logan, and Wallace Counties from 1996 to
2007 in Kansas (.csv) United States Department of Agriculture National Agricultural
Statistics Service. Available from http://quickstats.nass.usda.gov/
United States Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service. (1997). Usual
Planting and Harvesting Dates for U.S. Field Crops, December 1997. Retrieved from
http://swat.tamu.edu/media/90113/crops-typicalplanting-harvestingdates-by-states.pdf
United States Department of Agriculture National Agriculture Statistics Service. (2014). Kansas
wheat history. Retrieved from
http://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/Kansas/Publications/Crops/whthist.pdf
Washington Wheat Commission (2009). Washington wheat facts 2008-2009. Retrieved from
http://admin.aghost.net/images/E0177801/2008WF4WebSmHomepage.pdf

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16

Figures and Tables

Year

Test Weight per Bushel in Pounds

1996

60.2

1997

60.6

1998

61.5

1999

60.2

2000

59.9

2001

60.9

2002

60.1

2003

60.7

2004

59.7

2005

61.0

2006

59.9

2007

59.3

(Table 1) This is a table of harvested winter wheat bushel test weights for each year from 1996 to
2007 in Kansas.
County Name

Station Name

Median-first-freeze Date

Thomas

Colby 1 SW KS US

October 5th

Sherman

Sharon Springs KS US

October 6th

Logan

Winona KS US

October 12th

Wallace

Goodland and Renner Field KS US

October 10th

(Table 2) This is a table of median-first-freeze dates of specific stations. Listed also are the
Kansas County names in which each station is located.

WINTER WHEAT HARVEST VALUES AND PRE-DORMANCY PRECIPITATION

County Name

Correlation Coefficient

p-value

Thomas

0.560

0.06

Sherman

-0.201

0.53

Logan

0.143

0.56

Wallace

0.190

0.66

17

(Table 3) This is a table of results from Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4. The correlation coefficient
category shows the slope of the data trend line on each graph. The p-value evidences the
reliability of the slope value, whether or not it is meaningful.

Thomas County Winter Wheat Production and Precipitation

300

Data Trendline

250

Millions

Total Winter Wheat Production (kg)

Total Winter Wheat Production of Thomas County Against Observed

Precipitation from Winter Wheat Planting to its Later Dormancy

200

150
100
50

y = 974902x + 5E+07
R = 0.309

0
0

50
100
150
Precipitation from Planting to Dormancy (mm)

200

(Figure 1) This is a graph of total winter wheat production against precipitation received from
planting to dormancy in Thomas County, KS.

WINTER WHEAT HARVEST VALUES AND PRE-DORMANCY PRECIPITATION

18

Total Winter Wheat Production (kg)

Millions

Total Winter Wheat Production of Sherman County Againsty Precipitation

Received by Winter Wheat from Planting to Dormancy of Crop
Sherman County Winter Wheat Production and Precipitation

180
160
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0

Data Trendline

y = -222041x + 1E+08
R = 0.0404
0

50
100
150
Precipitation from Planting to Dormancy (mm)

200

(Figure 2) This is a graph of total winter wheat production against precipitation received from
planting to dormancy in Sherman County, KS.

Logan County Winter Wheat Production and Precipitation

Millions

Total Winter Wheat Production (kg)

Total Winter Wheat Production of Logan County Against Precipitation

Received by Winter Wheat from Planting to Dormancy of Crop
180
160
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0

Data Trendline

y = 139030x + 8E+07
R = 0.0204
0

50
100
150
200
Precipitation from Planting to Dormancy (mm)

250

(Figure 3) This is a graph of total winter wheat production against precipitation received from
planting to dormancy in Logan County, KS.

WINTER WHEAT HARVEST VALUES AND PRE-DORMANCY PRECIPITATION

19

Total Winter Wheat Productio of Wallace County Against Precipitation

Received by Winter Wheat from Planting to Dormancy of Crop

Total Winter Wheat Production (kg)

Millions

Wallace County Winter Wheat Production and Precipitation

Data Trendline

120
100
80
60
40
y = 204366x + 4E+07
R = 0.0359

20
0
0

20

40
60
80
100
Precipitation from Planting to Dormancy (mm)

120

140

(Figure 4) This is a graph of total winter wheat production against precipitation received from
planting to dormancy in Wallace County, KS.