Small Grain Field Day
Small grain production is one of the largest crops grown in Comanche County and the surrounding areas. The last couple of years have not been the best but typically small grains are one of our more reliable crops, especially on dryland fields. Some of the small grains are grown for grain but the majority is grown for forage. For the last couple of years, the Comanche County Extension office, Small Grain Specialist for Texas A&M Crop Sciences Department, and Indian Creek Farms have conducted small grain research trials in the county.
This year we have 69 varieties of small grains replicated 4 times in the trials. These trials include varieties of small grains including wheat, oats, rye, triticale, barley, ryegrass as well as some blends of grains. To replicate grazing, we make several clips on these trials each season. We made the 1st clipping in December and the next clipping will be soon. It is very interesting to walk through the trials and see all the different varieties and species of small grain sideby- side. It is also very interesting to look at the yields as we progress through the season. Some varieties come on strong early and then fizzle out, while others are slower, but make up for it later in the season. We have the data from this year’s first clipping, but the rankings will change as we move further along in the season and add more clippings.
We will be hosting a small grain tour of the trials on Friday, February 20th at 10:00 A.M. at the field. We are fortunate to have Dr. Brandon Gerrish, State Small Grains and Oilseed Specialist at the field day. Dr. Gerrish will be talking about trial results and small grain management, including dealing with rustwhich appears to be early this year. The small grain trials are located on Farm to Market Road 1476 about 2 miles from Highway 36. They are on the right side of FM 1476; you cannot miss them. We will be offering 1 IPM CEU at the event. If it looks like the weather is going to be bad you might call the office to be sure the date stays the same.
This is an excellent opportunity to view many species and varieties of small grains side-by-side.