SPRING WHEAT PRODUCTION
 
 Other Spring Wheat. Growers produced an estimated 205 million bushels (5.57) million 
 metric tons), down 54 percent from the 1987 production and 57 percent less than in 1986. 
 Yield averaged 19.4 bushels per acre, down 14.2 bushels from 1987. Area harvested totaled 
 10.5 million acres (4.3 million hectares), 21 percent less than the 13.2 million acres 
 (5.4 million hectares) in 1987.
 
 Seeding of the 1988 spring wheat crop was quite early in many areas but was often 
 followed by poorer than normal emergence in some areas. Temperatures stayed well above 
 normal (record breaking) and were accompanied by severe drought conditions. In general, 
 diseases were of minor importance in most areas. Harvest was at least two weeks or more 
 earlier than normal throughout Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota due to the 
 drought and heat. Drought stress was encountered most seriously in western areas of North 
 Dakota and South Dakota, but was of a severe consequence throughout the growing area.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 The 1988 Spring Wheat Crop
 
 The Statistical Reporting Service, USDA, preliminary report:
 
 SPRING WHEAT OTHER THAN DURUM
 
 		    Acres (1000)	   Yield (Bu/A)	 	   Bushels (1000)
 		--------------------	--------------------	-----------------------
 State		1986	1987	1988	1986	1987	1988	1986	1987	1988
 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Minnesota	2,650	2,400	2,100	37.0	41.0	23.0	 98,050	 98,400  48,300
 Montana		2,600	2,300	1,500	27.0	29.0	12.0	 70,200	 66,700	 18,000
 North Dakota	6,400	6,100	4,750	31.0	31.0	15.0	198,400	189,100	 71,250
 South Dakota	1,980	11,80	1,300	25.0	27.0	12.0	 49,500	 48,600	 15,000
 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 U.S.A. 		14,641 13,343 10,538	32.0	33.6	19.4	472,230	448,514 204,764