Hot and dry weather has more and more Kansas farmers climbing into combines to bring in the 2016 winter wheat crop.

“We’ve kicked off and it’s early in the 1st quarter,” said Tom Maxwell, Extension Agent with Kansas State University.

Maxwell stopped into the KSAL Morning News with a look from the starting line of this year’s harvest.

“The crop is sitting out in the field and it’s vulnerable to hail, wind, too much rain,” he said.

“The key is getting the crop out of the field in a timely manner and the race  is on.”

Maxwell believes once the cutting crews cross the border into Nebraska – Kansas will have a solid harvest to look back on.

“The Wheat Quality Council is estimating an average of 48.6 bushels state wide, that’s 382-million bushels,” Maxwell said.

“The state wide average last year was 37 bushels and here in Saline County just a hair under 39 bushels. So, yea there’s some good wheat around and particularly there’s some good wheat out in western Kansas.”