by Dr. Clark B. Neely, Extension Small Grains Specialist, cbneely@tamu.edu

So far, spring 2016 has been eerily similar to the spring of 2015 with wet conditions complicating wheat harvest for many producers in the state. In 2015, much of the pre-harvest sprouting (Figure 1) that occurred affected wheat in South Texas and the Blacklands. Low prices and the wet fall prevented many of the acres from being planted in this region for the 2016 crop. Though sprouting and crop failure in these region were or still are possible, the biggest area of concern now appears to be portions of the Rolling Plains and even portions of the southern High Plains which are already harvesting ahead of schedule due to the mild winter.

Figure 1. An example of advanced pre-harvest sprouting of wheat kernels in seed head (photo by H. Randhawa).

Wheat yields in these regions are above average, which may help some producers offset low wheat prices this year, but only if grain quality is not compromised. Some portions of the Concho Valley were harvesting the last week of May, but were forced out of their fields with consistent rainfall last week. Sprouting only becomes an issue once wheat reaches physiological maturity, so this critical threshold has been reached in some fields. As conditions dry out this week and harvest begins once again producers will have a better handle on the amount, if any, of damage to the crop.

Additional details can be found in the publication Pre-harvesting Sprouting in Wheat by G.D. Morgan.

Clark Neely
State Small Grains Agronomist
College Station, TX
cbneely@tamu.edu