CIRCULAR ANR-497 (09/87)

A L A B A M A   A & M   A N D   A U B U R N   U N I V E R S I T I E S PLANTING SMALL GRAINS

Wheat.
Wheat can be successfully grown on a wide range of Alabama soils, but it is best adapted to deep, well-drained soils of medium texture and medium-to-high fertility. It will tolerate poorly-drained, clayey soils better than other small grains but may drown out in extremely wet areas and will be more susceptible to diseases under high humidity conditions.

Oats.
Oats may be grown throughout Alabama; however, they ate best adapted to central and southern Alabama. Oats are less winter-hardy than wheat, barley, or rye and will generally suffer yield losses when the temperature falls below 20°F.

Barley.
Barley is best adapted to the northern portion of Alabama. Barley production in central and southern Alabama has largely been unsuccessful and is therefore not recommended. Barley is the least tolerant of the small grains to soil acidity. Maximum yields can be expected when it is planted on soils with a pH of 6.0 or higher. Barley is more winter-hardy than oats but less winter hardy than wheat or rye.
     The best soil for growing barley are well-drained , productive loams or clay loams with medium to high fertility. Barley does not tolerate excessive soil wetness. Both yield and grain quality are reduced severely on poorly drained soils. Poor results can also be expected when barley is grown on sandy soils. Growth of barley on sandy soils is often erratic, and a spring drought may cause premature ripening of the grain.

Triticale.
Triticale is a man-made cross between wheat and rye. Field trials in Alabama suggest that triticale yields are usually one-half to two-thirds that of wheat. However, triticale has a higher feed value. Triticale is used primarily in swine rations. It has a much higher protein content and better amino acid balance than corn.
     Only a few triticale varieties are adapted to Alabama. The two most widely available varieties, Beagle '82 and Florida 201, are adapted only to the lower third of the state. Morrison, a newly released variety from Alabama A&M, adapted to northern Alabama. Availability of Morrison seed is limited.

Rye.
Rye is the hardiest of all the small grains. It is more tolerant of acid and sandy or infertile soils than other small grains. It is also the earliest maturing and most cold-tolerant small grain. Rye is well adapted throughout Alabama as a forage or seed crop. Because of its low yields, rye is seldom grown as a grain crop.

     Preparation of a smooth, firm, vegetation-free seedbed aids in precise planting and obtaining a good stand. Disking is probably the most common method of seedbed preparation for small grains in Alabama. However, recent studies suggest that some sort of deep tillage prior to planting may be beneficial, particularly on coastal plain soils.
     Chisel-plowing and turn-plowing usually result in 5 to 15 bushels per acre more than disking or no-till and 600 to 1,000 pounds per acre higher forage yields. A paraplow or subsoiler with a 30- to 36-inch shank opening is as effective as chiseling or turning.

     Yielding ability is usually the characteristic that most producers use to select a variety. However, yields for a particular variety may vary considerably from year to year depending on weather conditions, disease incidence, and other factors. Yield data from a single year can be very misleading if environmental conditions were unusual that year. For this reason, yield data for several years should be used for making decisions on variety selection.
     Another important characteristic to consider in variety selection is disease resistance. Foliar diseases such as crown rust, leaf rust, stem rust, septoria blotch, and powdery mildew have the potential to severely reduce small grain yields. Use of disease-resistant varieties is the most economical and effective method of controlling these diseases.
     Other important considerations in choosing a variety are winter-hardiness, maturity, straw strength, and insect resistance. Hessian fly problems on wheat are now widespread in Alabama. Several varieties are available which have good resistance to this destructive insect pest.
     Each year, Auburn University agronomists conduct small grain variety trials at numerous locations throughout Alabama to determine which varieties are best adapted, which have the highest yield, and which have the most desirable characteristics for various purposes. Lists of recommended varieties are compiled annually based on these evaluations.
     Additional information on yield, disease resistannce, Hessian fly resistance, and other characteristics of small grain varieties can be found in the annual "Small Grain Variety Report" published by the Department of Agronomy and Soils, Alabama Experiment Station, Auburn University. Copies of the current report and variety recommendations can be obtained at your county Extension office.
     Always use varieties which are known to be adapted to and productive in the area in which they are to be grown.
     In addition to selecting a good variety, use good quality, certified seed. If for some reason non-certified seed is used, a seed test should be conducted to make certain the seed is free of weeds and has a good germination level.

     Fungicide seed treatments are an inexpensive but effective method of protecting seed and seedlings from seed and soil-borne diseases . In general, certified seed purchased through a seed distributor is treated with a fungicide, usually Captan or Thiram. Seed from local sources often is not treated at all.
     Use a contact fungicide such as Captan, Maneb/Mancozeb, PCNB, or Thiram on all seed grown for grain. These fungicides may be formulated for machine application , as drill-box treatments, or both. Machine-applied products are cheaper and provide better protection than comparable drill-box treatments. However, the availability of mechanically treated seed is limited in some areas.
     Drill-box treatments can provide good protection from most seed and soil-borne diseases. The real key to performance of drill-box treatments is thorough coverage of the seed with the full label rate of the fungicide.
     To obtain good distribution of the fungicide over seed, add half of the required amount of fungicide to the hopper, which should be half full of seed, and thoroughly mix. Then, add the remaining seed and mix until all seed are covered.
     Loose smut cannot be controlled with contact fungicides because the fungus develops within the seed rather than on the seed coat. The systemic fungicide, carboxin, will control the disease; it is available in drill-box and machine-applied formulations. Machine-applied products containing carboxin are considered superior to drill-box treatments.
     All wheat to be harvested as certified or foundation seed, as well as all seed held from last year's crop, should be treated with carboxin in addition to a contact fungicide. Current seed treatment recommendations are listed in Extension Circular ANR-500A, 2002 Alabama Pest Management Handbook, chapter "Small Grain Insect, Disease, And Weed Control Recommendations".

     The optimum dates for planting small grain will depend on the location in the state, the intended use of the crop, and the small grain crop to be grown. Planting should be completed earlier in the northern portion of Alabama the in the southern counties.
     Small grains targeted for use as forage should be planted earlier than those to be harvested as grain. Small grains planted too late often suffer winter damage and do not yield well.
     Small grains planted too early may suffer excessive damage from insects and diseases and may accumulate extra fall growth which can lead to lodging, When stem elongation and head formulation begin in the fall, severe winter kill is generally the result. Planting dates for small grains in Alabama are listed in Table 1.

Table 1. Planting Dates For Small Grains In Alabama.

Region

Grain Only

Grazing Plus Grain Production

     Some small grain varieties require a certain amount of cold weather before the plants will form seed heads. For most wheat varieties, four to nine weeks of cold weather are required. However, some early varieties such as Coker 792 and Florida 301 wheat and Beagle 82 and Florida 201 triticale do not require as much cold weather. Do not plant these varieties too early since cold weather in the fall may satisfy their cold requirement. When this happens, these varieties may joint and bloom prematurely, resulting in yield losses due to cold injury.
     Optmum planting dates in South Alabama, where these early maturing varieties are adapted, are between November 15 and December 15. When more than one variety of wheat is to be planted, plant the later maturing variety first and the earliest maturing variety last.
     Planting dates also influence the occurrence and severity of Hessian fly damage. In the northern United States, wheat growers avoid Hessian fly damage by planting after the fly-free date (the time after which adult flies gave emerged and died). Unfortunately, this technique does not work as well in the Southeast.
In Alabama, temperatures are often warm enough to permit Hessian fly adults to establish infestations even in the winter months. However, wheat planted after November 1 will usually escape severe Hessian fly damage.
     The combination of resistant varieties and planting after November 1 is the best defense against Hessian fly damage. Plowing under wheat stubble after harvest and destroying volunteer wheat prior to planting will also help control Hessian fly.

Planting rate.
The quantity of seed needed per acre varies in different situations. First, seeding rates depend to a great extent on the intended use or uses of the crop. More seed should be used in fields that are to be grazed than in areas where wheat is being grown for grain only.
     Secondly, the method of planting also influences the quantity of seed needed. The best method for planting small grain seed is with a grain drill or other drill-type planter which allows precise planting. If the seed are to be broadcast and disked in, increase the seeding rate 20 percent.
     The seeding rate should also be increased with any of the following conditions: late planting, no-till planting, planting into a dry seedbed, or aerial planting. The recommended seeding rates and depths for planting with a drill into a prepared seedbed are listed in Table 2. Table 3 is provided to assist in calibrating a grain drill for wheat.

	Table 2: Planting Rates And Depths For Small Grains In Alabama.
	Rate
	Crop	Grain Only	Grazing + Grain (Pure Stands)	Depths
	Barley Oats Rye Wheat Triticale	75-100 60-90 60-90 60-90 90-110	100-120 90-120 90-120 90-120	1 - 2 inches 1 - 2 inches 1 - 2 inches 1 - 2 inches 1 - 2 inches

	Table 3: Grain Drill Calibration For Wheat (Seed/Row Foot).
		Seeding Rate in Bu/Ac.
	Row width in inches.	1	1½	2
	6 7 8 9 10	10 12 13 15 17	15 18 20 23 25	20 23 27 30 33

Depth of coverage.
Small grain seed should be placed in firm contact with moist soil if possible and covered with enough soil to prevent rapid drying. In medium - to fine - textured soils with warm temperatures and adequate moisture, seed should be placed at depths of ¾ to 1½ inches.
     In sandy soils subject to rapid drying or in soils with less than optimum moisture, seed may be placed at depths of up to 2 inches. Do not cover small grain seed with more than 2 inches of soil. Deeper coverage may result in loss of vigor and failure of the seed to produce emerged seedlings.
     For uniform depth of coverage, the seedbed should be smooth and the grain drill should be adjusted so that all openers are planting at the same depth. If some openers are planting too deep or too shallow, poor seed emergence and poor stands may result in those rows.

     There is no substitute for soil testing in determining how much lime and fertilizer to apply for small grain production. When taking soil samples, follow recommended procedures and avoid atypical areas such as depressions or eroded areas. A good fertilizer recommendation depends on a good soil test.

Liming.
Low soil pH (soil acidity) reduces the productivity of small grain crops in Alabama more than any other soil fertility condition. This can be easily corrected by liming. The recommended pH range for small grains in Alabama is 5.8 to 6.5. Barley is most tolerant of alkaline conditions but is more sensitive to low pH than the other small grains.
     Yields of barley may be reduced on some soils if the pH drops much below 6.0. Oats are most tolerant of a wide range in soil pH, and rye has fair tolerance to low pH. Any needed lime should be incorporated into the topsoil before planting time.

Nitogen.
For producing grain without grazing, apply 20 pounds per acre at planting to soon after seedling emergence. Apply an additional 60 pounds per acre of nitrogen in February for small grains behind a summer legume and 75 pounds per acre after a non-legume crop.
     When small grains are planted behind soybeans or peanuts, the fall nitrogen application can be omitted. Delaying the February nitrogen application until March may severely reduce yields, especially when small grains follow non-legume crops.
     Comparisons of different nitrogen sources gave generally shown little or no difference in effectiveness, provided the application requirements of the source used are met. However, gaseous losses from urea or liquids containing urea can be important under conditions of high temperatures, dry soils, high soil pH (7.0 or higher), and where large quantities of plant material cover the soil surface. Under these conditions, ammonium nitrate would be the preferred nitrogen source. To minimize losses, dribble urea nitrogen instead of applying broadcast.

Phosphorus and potassium.
Each of these elements is important in small grain production. Needs vary from field to field, and fertilization with these elements should be based on a soil test.

Magnesium and sulfur.
Available magnesium is routinely determined on soil samples received by the Auburn University Soil Testing Laboratory. Where magnesium is low and liming is needed, dolomitic lime is recommended, Calcium is also supplied by lime and is generally not deficient in areas where there is a suitable soil pH.
     Sulfur may be deficient on sandy soils where little or no sulfur has been applied recently. The application of 10 pounds per acre of sulfur in the form of ammonium sulfate, ammonium thiosulfate, or other sulfate is recommended each year to prevent sulfur deficiencies. The best time to apply sulfate sulfur is at topdressing in February.

Micronutrients.
Micronutrients are generally available in Alabama soils in adequate amounts for wheat production. Therefore, routine applications lf micronutrients to wheat is not recommended.
     Good yields of small grains begin with proper stand establishment which is highly dependent on planting practices. Uniform stands of vigorous seedlings do not occur by accident. Careful planning and attention at planting time will usually pay off in extra bushels at harvest.