The Georgia Agricultural Experiment Stations
College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
The University of Georgia
Annual Publication Number 100
July 2009
2008-2009 SMALL GRAIN PERFORMANCE TESTS
Edited by J. LaDon Day, Anton E. Coy,
and John D. Gassett
The Season
One of the worst droughts in the state’s history continued into the fall 2008 small
grain planting season. For the third consecutive season topsoil moisture over much of
the state was short, very short in several areas. Consequently, planting of the 20082009 small grain crop was delayed for most farmers. Georgia wheat producers seeded
370 thousand acres of wheat during the 2008-2009 crop year, a decrease of 110,000
acres or 30% less than the previous year. Rye producers seeded 170,000 acres, 15%
less than last year, while oat acreage increased 7% totaling 70,000 acres.
Rainfall amounts recorded monthly at the five test locations in Georgia and at
Marianna, FL during the 2008-2009 growing season are presented in the following
table. Due to above normal rainfall during late winter and spring (second wettest spring
on record in Georgia), on June 10, 2009 water restrictions were cancelled across the
state for the first time in three years. Seasonal total rainfall at Variety Research
locations was above normal for the first time in many years except at Griffin and Midville
where 1.84” and .22” less than normal rainfall occurred, respectively.
2008-2009 Rainfall1
Month
Year
2
Calhoun
Griffin
Midville
Plains
Tifton
Marianna, FL3
--------------------------------------------- inches --------------------------------------------October
2008
3.04
4.83
2.10
3.88
6.41
5.12
November
2008
2.46
3.12
3.78
4.08
3.88
3.19
December
2008
7.66
2.89
3.15
6.81
3.11
8.22
January
2009
7.26
3.00
0.91
2.24
1.64
2.33
February
2009
5.09
4.10
1.52
3.41
2.17
3.26
March
2009
5.90
8.77
3.27
7.67
8.23
7.11
April
2009
4.45
3.99
5.84
5.09
8.26
7.73
May
2009
8.78
3.69
9.35
7.09
6.54
9.15
June
2009
2.47
1.73
1.99
2.71
1.98
2.78
Total (9 months)
47.11
36.12
31.91
42.98
42.22
48.89
Normal (9 months)
42.15
37.96
32.13
36.21
33.45
38.70
1. Data for Georgia sites collected by Dr. G. Hoogenboom, Griffin Campus, Griffin, GA.
2. Floyd County location.
3. University of Florida North Florida Research and Education Center location.
The 2008-2009 small grain growing season in Georgia began with very dry soil
conditions, but differing from the past several years ended with above normal rainfall in
most areas. A wet cool spring in North Georgia was beneficial for small grain
production but frosty conditions in early April caused some damage on early varieties.
J. LaDon Day is program coordinator of statewide variety testing and John D. Gassett is research professional II in
the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, Griffin Campus, Griffin, GA 30223-1797. Anton E. Coy is a senior
agricultural specialist in the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, Tifton Campus, Tifton, GA 31793-0748.
However, a lack of vernalization was a problem in south Georgia especially for late
maturing varieties. Sporadic insect damage occurred around the state due to Hessian
fly and other insects. Powdery mildew was a concern for some farmers due to the moist
growing conditions. Seed head sprouting was a problem in the southern part of the
state due to persistent heavy rain at harvest time.
Wheat yield for the 2009 Georgia crop was 43 bushels per acre, down 24% from
last year’s record bushels per acre. There was a total of 270,000 acres of wheat grain
harvested, 130,000 acres or 22% less than 2008. This year’s total production of 11.6
million bushels for the state was only 48% as much as last year. Thirty thousand acres
of oats were harvested in 2009, which is an increase of 20% and is equivalent to the
harvested acres of 2007. Twenty-five thousand acres of rye were harvested for grain, a
reduction of 38% from the year 2008. Rye production in Georgia is primarily for forage.