Kansas winter wheat are planted the year before the expected harvest. This is an example of research conducted to help Kansas farmers with crop yields.

...Date of seeding (click here) greatly affects development of tillers in winter wheat, the source of as much 

Table 1. Winter wheat seeding dates and yields at North Platte.
Seeding date	Yield (bu/ac)
Sept. 2	2
Sept. 15	27
Sept. 25	42

as 70% of the grain yield in a normal year. Seeding during the optimum period enables wheat to form sufficient but not excessive tillers. Early seeding results in too many fall tillers, which may compete with each other, become diseased, and deplete soil moisture so that grain yields are low. Late seeding gives plants little time to develop tillers, resulting in an inadequate numbers of spikes (heads) for high yields the following spring....

Yes, the Kansas winter wheat crop is already in the ground.

The winter wheat crop is emerging in Kansas.

Yes, an inferno has just rolled through Kansas with it's winter wheat crop already seeded. The farmers are going to lose their first crop this season and will be facing fiscal decisions NOW!