Category Archives: Wheat

Wheat Topdress Nitrogen Update for Texas

Nitrogen and Texas Wheat Grain Production—Topdress N Timing is Critical:  Twelve Common Grower Questions about N for Texas Wheat Grain   Calvin Trostle, Ph.D., Professor & Extension Agronomist, TAMU Dept. of Soil & Crop Sciences, Lubbock, (806) 746-6101, ctrostle@ag.tamu.edu Jake Mowrer, Ph.D., Associate Professor & Extension Soil Nutrient & Water Resource Management Specialist, TAMU Dept. of Soil & Crop Sciences, College Station, (979) 845- 5366, jake.mowrer@tamu.edu March 6, 2023   Much of Texas wheat has entered jointing and reproductive growth.  This includes regions into the northern Rolling Plains… Read More →

Hessian Fly and Their Impact on the 2023 Wheat Crop

D. Tyler Mays Extension Agent-IPM, Hill and McLennan Counties Email: tyler.mays@ag.tamu.edu David Drake, Extension Agent-IPM, District 4 – Commerce, TX Email: drdrake@ag.tamu.edu   I have received numerous questions and concerns over the last couple of weeks about Hessian fly in wheat, and after their impact on the 2022 crop producer concerns are fully justifiable (Figure 1). It is not news that Hessian fly are once again present across the Texas Blacklands but compared to the 2022 wheat crop their severity is not as bad. There are a couple… Read More →

Wheat Variety Grain Picks for Texas – 2021-2022

Dr. Fernando Guillen-Portal, Small Grains Extension Specialist, Soil & Crop Sciences Dept. College Station, (406) 579-5638, f.guillenportal@agnet.tamu.edu Dr. Calvin Trostle, Extension Agronomy, TAMU Soil & Crop Sciences, Lubbock, (806) 723-8432, ctrostle@ag.tamu.edu Russ Garetson, MS, Small Grains Extension Program Specialist, TAMU Soil & Crop Sciences, College Station, (214) 460-5510, russ.garetson@ag.tamu.edu   Continuing an established tradition, Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension has identified the annual winter wheat variety “Pick’s list” for the 2021-2022 growing season for each of the wheat variety testing regions in Texas, the High Plains, Rolling… Read More →

Freeze Damage and the Texas Wheat Crop

  Dr. Calvin Trostle, Extension Agronomy, TAMU Dept. of Soil & Crop Sciences, Lubbock, (806) 746-6101, ctrostle@ag.tamu.edu Dr. Fernando Guillen-Portal, State Extension Small Grains Specialist, TAMU Dept. of Soil & Crop Sciences, College Station, (979) 845-4826, fernando.guillen@tamu.edu February 26, 2021       The cold temperatures in Texas in February’s cold snap range from as low as -12° F in the Panhandle to mid-single digits as far south as the Austin region.  A few locations in Texas set all-time low records (Tyler, TX for one).  Lubbock recorded -6°… Read More →

Grain Variety Picks for Texas High Plains, 2020-2021 & Texas High Plains Wheat Production Summary, 2019-2020

Jourdan M. Bell, Assistant Professor and Agronomist, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension and Research, Amarillo, (806) 677-5600, jourdan.bell@ag.tamu.edu 2019-2020 Cropping Season in Review Variable rainfall in August and September resulted in varying planting conditions across the Texas High Plains. Some fields were planted with replenished soil moisture while other fields were dry sowed. October 2019 rains delivered valuable moisture for the region’s wheat crop. There was minimal winter precipitation through the central and northern Panhandle resulting in another dry winter. A prolonged winter drought resulted in many producers pulling… Read More →

Late-season Weed Control in Wheat

Dr. Calvin Trostle, Extension Agronomy, TAMU Soil & Crop Sciences, Lubbock, TX (806) 723-8432, ctrostle@ag.tamu.edu Wheat farmers in the Rolling Plains, Concho Valley, and especially the High Plains, may have enough time to implement some late-season weed control in problem fields. For some farmers, earlier weed control with 2,4-D products may have given incomplete control for mustards, London rocket, kochia, etc. As many farmers across Texas know there is always some risk using growth-regulator type herbicides in wheat due to injury potential on grain yield. These herbicides include… Read More →

Slight chance of vernalization issues in late-planted wheat: West Central Texas

Reagan Noland – Assistant Professor & Extension Agronomist, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, San Angelo, TX Substantial wheat acreage in West Central Texas was planted later than normal, largely due to very dry fall conditions. Much of the region received less than 1 inch of rain through September and October combined, compared to the average >5 inches (Figure 1). Depending on the timing of planting relative to isolated rain events in November and December, some wheat did not emerge until late December or possibly early January. Average temperatures… Read More →

Guidelines for 2,4-D Use in Wheat

Dr. Calvin Trostle, Extension Agronomy, Dept. of Soil & Crop Sciences, Texas A&M AgriLife/Texas A&M University, Lubbock, 806-746-6101, ctrostle@ag.tamu.edu In 2015 I wrote about sensitivity of small grains—wheat specifically—to 2,4-D products, dicamba, and MCPA. I noted a handy guide from Purdue University that explained the differences between 2,4-D amines and 2,4-D esters, which discussed the pros and cons of these two formulations. You can review that earlier newsletter at https://agrilife.org/texasrowcrops/2015/03/04/24-d-and-sensitivity-in-small-grains/ The link noted there for the Purdue guide is https://mdc.itap.purdue.edu/item.asp?itemID=18343 (or directly from https://www.panna.org/sites/default/files/2,4-D%20Amine%20or%20Ester%202004-Purdue.pdf) 2,4-D and Sensitivity in… Read More →

Fine-tuning dual-use wheat management for forage and grain production

Morgan N. McCulloch1 and Reagan L. Noland2 1. Agronomy Program Aide, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, San Angelo, TX 2. Assistant Professor & Extension Agronomist, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, San Angelo, TX Dual-use wheat management is a common practice to optimize production of wheat as both a forage and grain crop, but Texas producers lack specific management information for this system. When managing wheat as both a forage and/or grain crop, specific grazing intensity immediately prior to jointing (first hollow stem) can influence a tradeoff between forage… Read More →

A Checklist for the 2019-2020 Texas Wheat Crop

  Submitted by Dr. Calvin Trostle, Extension Agronomy, Lubbock, 806-746-6101, ctrostle@ag.tamu.edu; December 4, 2019   Essentially all the Texas wheat crop is in the ground. This includes wheat for grazing or grain (or both). Abnormally dry and moderate drought conditions exist across much of central Texas, but fortunately most of the High Plains wheat production region has seen dry conditions alleviate since the end of September. I still have a little wheat left to drill. There are still a few scattered acres likely in the High Plains that… Read More →