Wheat harvest has resumed in the Lawrence area after being mired by a week of scattered rains.

Farmers and grain elevator operators said Tuesday it appeared the area’s wheat crop had been damaged by the wet weather during its critical harvest period. But they still expected to produce an above-average harvest.

“It is still pretty good, but I think the rain got it a little bit,” said Steve Wilson, owner of Baldwin Feed and Grain. “The longer it sits in the field, the more it deteriorates.”

The Lawrence area received about 1.5 inches of rain from June 16 through Monday, according to Matt Sayers, chief meteorologist at 6News.

The quality of wheat can be measured by its weight. Farmers who harvest a crop that weighs less than 60 pounds per bushel are generally paid from 1 cent to 8 cents per bushel less.

Wilson said test weights for the Lawrence-area crop were near 60 pounds per bushel before the rain. He said the wheat tested in the 57-58 range Tuesday.

Mark Neis, a Eudora farmer, began harvesting his crop Tuesday.

“I suppose if we could have gotten in there a week or so earlier, the test weights would have been a lot better, but I’m not complaining,” Neis said. “All this rain is really helping our other crops.”

Jim Neis, of Eudora, unloads wheat in a field south of Eudora. Area wheat farmers resumed harvesting their crops Tuesday.

Neis said he expected his crop would yield near 60 bushels per acre. Last year’s countywide average was 64 bushels per acre, but the 5-year average is 44 bushels per acre.