Kansas growers expect to plant 19.6 million acres to the four major crops (wheat, sorghum, corn, and soybeans), up 2 percent from 2005. Wheat seeded in the fall of 2005 totaled 10.2 million acres, unchanged from the December forecast but up 2 percent from the previous year.

Sorghum acreage expected to be planted, at 2.80 million acres, is up 2 percent from a year ago. Corn planting intentions totaled 3.35 million, down 8 percent from the 2005 acreage. Soybean planted acreage is expected to be 3.20 million acres, up 10 percent from last year and , if realized, a new record high. Oat seedings are expected to be up 10 percent from 2005 at 110,000 acres. Barley seedings, at 20,000 acres, are up from the 19,000 acres planted in 2005.

Sunflower acreage to be planted, at 195,000 acres, is down 35 percent from last year. Oil-type varieties account for 180,000 of the sunflower acreage while non-oil, or confectionary, varieties make up the balance of 15,000 acres. Dry beans, at 14,000 acres, are up 1,000 acres from the previous year. All hay for harvest, at 2.90 million acres, is unchanged from 2005. Cotton is expected to be planted on 100,000 acres, up 26,000 acres from last year, also a new record, if realized.

PROSPECTIVE PLANTINGS - MARCH 1, 2006
Crop	Acreage Planted or to be Planted
	Kansas			United States
	2005	Prospective 2006	2006 as % of 2005	2005	Prospective 2006	2006 as % of 2005
	1,000 Acres		Percent	1,000 Acres		Percent

Wheat, All	10,000	10,200	102	57,229	57,128	100
Winter	10,000	10,200	102	40,433	41,404	102
Durum	-	-		2,760	1,825	66
Other Spring	-	-		14,036	13,899	99
Sorghum, All	2,750	2,800	102	6,454	6,483	100
Corn, All	3,650	3,350	92	81,759	78,019	95
Soybeans	2,900	3,200	110	72,142	76,895	107
Oats	100	110	110	4,246	4,324	102
Barley	19	20	105	3,875	3,667	95
Hay, All 1/	2,900	2,900	100	61,649	61,478	100
Sunflowers, All	300	195	65	2,709	2,196	81
Beans, Dry Edible	13.0	14.0	108	1,665.0	1,710.3	103
Cotton, All	74.0	100.0	135	14,195.4	14,634.0	103
1/ Acreage for harvest.

Corn growers intend to plant 78.0 million acres of corn for all purposes in 2006, down 5 percent from 2005 and 4 percent below 2004. If realized, this will be the lowest corn acreage since 2001 when 75.7 million acres were planted for all purposes. Soybean producers intend to plant 76.9 million acres in 2006, up 7 percent from last year. If realized, this will be the largest planted area on record. Sorghum plantings are expected to total 6.48 million acres, up fractionally from 2005. The 2006 all wheat planted area is expected to total 57.1 million acres, down slightly from 2005. If realized, this will be the lowest all wheat acreage since 1972. Winter wheat planted area for the 2006 crop is 41.4 million acres, up 2 percent from 2005. Of the total, about 29.8 million acres are Hard Red Winter, 7.42 million acres Soft Red Winter, and 4.22 million acres are White Winter. Area planted to Durum wheat is expected to total 1.83 million acres, down 34 percent from 2005. If realized, this will be the lowest Durum wheat acreage since 1961. The 2006 other spring wheat planted acreage is estimated at 13.9 million acres, down 1 percent from 2005. Of the total, about 13.2 million acres are Hard Red Spring wheat. All cotton plantings for 2006 are expected to total 14.6 million acres, 3 percent more than last year. Upland acreage is expected to total 14.3 million acres, also a 3 percent increase. Growers intend to increase their plantings of American-Pima cotton to 334,000 acres, up 24 percent from 2005.

Kansas wheat stocks in all positions totaled 122.3 million bushels on March 1, down 40 percent from December 2005 and 3 percent less than last March. Wheat stored in off-farm locations (mills, elevators, warehouses, and processors) totaled 115.8 million bushels and accounted for 95 percent of the total. On-farm stocks totaled 6.5 million bushels, compared with 11.0 million bushels last March.

Sorghum grain in all positions totaled 97.6 million bushels, down 41 percent from December 2005 and 16 percent below a year ago. Off-farm stocks totaled 83.6 million bushels and on-farm stocks totaled 14.0 million bushels.

Kansas corn stocks in all locations, at 239.4 million bushels, were down 31 percent from December but 16 percent above last March. Off-farm stocks, at 156.4 million bushels, accounted for 65 percent of the total corn stocks. On-farm stocks, at 83.0 million bushels, were up 28 percent from the 2005 March stocks.

Kansas soybeans in all locations totaled 59.5 million bushels, down 35 percent from December but 26 percent above the March 2005 level. Off-farm stocks, at 39.5 million bushels, were up 22 percent from last year and accounted for 66 percent of the total soybean stocks. On-farm stocks, at 20.0 million bushels, were up from 15.0 million last year.

STOCKS OF GRAIN - MARCH 1, 2006, WITH COMPARISONS
Grain	Position	Kansas			United States
Grain	Position	Mar. 1, 2005	Dec. 1, 2005	Mar. 1, 2006	Mar. 1, 2005	Dec. 1, 2005	Mar. 1, 2006
		1,000 Bushels
All Wheat	On Farms	11,000	30,000	6,500	304,710	513,010	256,000
	Off Farms 1/	115,426	174,881	115,823	679,681	916,414	716,240
	TOTAL	126,426	204,881	122,323	984,391	1,429,424	972,240
Sorghum Grain	On Farms	19,000	35,000	14,000	33,400	55,000	25,900
	Off Farms 1/	96,966	129,323	83,649	170,122	235,376	166,939
	TOTAL	115,966	164,323	97,649	203,522	290,376	192,839
Corn	On Farms	65,000	135,000	83,000	4,137,000	6,325,000	4,055,000
	Off Farms 1/	141,171	213,345	156,415	2,619,334	3,489,957	2,932,178
	TOTAL	206,171	348,345	239,415	6,756,334	9,814,957	6,987,178
Soybeans	On Farms	15,000	29,000	20,000	795,000	1,345,000	872,000
	Off Farms 1/	32,358	62,781	39,457	586,364	1,157,098	796,555
	TOTAL	47,358	91,781	59,457	1,381,364	2,502,098	1,668,555
Oats	On Farms	*	*	*	43,500	60,100	41,900
	Off Farms 1/	479	620	630	38,946	35,617	32,812
	TOTAL	*	*	*	82,446	95,717	74,712
Barley	On Farms	*	*	*	79,680	103,650	68,400
	Off Farms 1/	27	34	43	111,001	104,335	98,164
	TOTAL	*	*	*	190,681	207,985	166,564
1/ Includes stocks at mills, elevators, warehouses, terminals, & processors. * On-farm stocks are no longer published separately for Kansas.