Wichita ? Winter wheat fields are starting to green across Kansas, but as much as 26 percent of the crop is in poor to very poor condition, the victim of unrelenting drought, the Kansas Agricultural Statistics Service reported Monday.

In its first weekly crop condition report of the season, issued Monday, the service rated 43 of the state’s wheat crop as fair. An additional 28 percent was in good and 3 percent in excellent condition.

Early indications are that an estimated 4 percent of the Kansas wheat crop has been lost to winter kill, the statistics service said. More precise figures are expected after the crop comes out of dormancy.

West-central Kansas especially has missed out on the winter storms, and crop insurance adjusters have already visited wheat fields that are still bare coming out of winter, said Brett Myers, executive vice president of the Kansas Association of Wheat Growers.

Much of the 2003 crop survived the mild winter, with 78 percent of the wheat showing no freeze damage and 82 percent showing no wind damage, the statistics service reported.

Greeley County farmer Alan Peter said the drought is headed into its fourth year in his area. Most of the recent snowfall fell to the south, missing the thirsty winter wheat crop, he said.

In the Lawrence area, 51 percent of topsoil moisture was rated adequate, 46 percent short and 3 percent very short. The subsoil moisture was rated 59 percent short, 29 percent very short, and 12 percent adequate.