The Georgia Agricultural Experiment Stations
College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
The University of Georgia
Research Report Number 705
July 2006
2005-2006 SMALL GRAIN PERFORMANCE TESTS
Edited by Paul A. Rose, J. LaDon Day, and Anton E. Coy
The Season
Small grain producers were faced with very dry planting conditions in the fall of 2005
even after record rainfall during June and July from hurricanes or tropical storms; a record
number of these weather systems (26) occurred during the hurricane season of 2005.
Consequently, planting was delayed in most parts of the state as farmers waited for
improved soil moisture. Warm weather and dry soils persisted into the early growing
season and winter wheat was in generally poor to fair condition. Wheat acres planted
were 280,000, 15% less than the previous year. Producers decreased planted acres of
oats, 17% less, while rye acres increased 8% over last year. Due to increased interest in
triticale as a forage crop, separate trials to test triticale were conducted this small grain
growing season in the state OVT forage program.
Rainfall amounts recorded monthly at the six test locations during the 2005-2006
growing season are presented in the following table. All locations received less than
normal rainfall. The most severe shortage of moisture occurred in the Piedmont Region
at Griffin where only 63% of the norm was received (13.98 inches less).
2005-2006 Rainfall1
Month
Year
Calhoun2
Griffin
Midville
Plains
Tifton
Marianna, FL3
--------------------------------------------- inches --------------------------------------------October
November
December
January
February
March
April
May
June
2005
2005
2005
2006
2006
2006
2006
2006
2006
1.26
5.36
4.94
5.30
2.87
3.36
3.86
2.52
2.90
2.50
2.92
2.77
3.11
4.26
2.04
1.66
1.71
3.01
7.91
1.61
4.24
3.52
3.33
0.78
1.96
1.62
5.85
1.02
4.08
4.06
3.81
5.83
1.93
2.90
2.87
1.68
0.58
4.13
4.97
7.65
4.04
0.30
1.68
2.70
4.17
0.44
3.33
4.43
5.95
4.06
1.09
1.68
5.17
2.14
Total (9 months)
32.37
23.98
30.82
28.18
30.22
28.29
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 2005-2006 small grain growing season in Georgia was once again characterized
by mild and dry weather. A lack of vernalization was a problem especially for late maturing
varieties. Cereal leaf beetle populations became a problem in the northern part of the state
Paul A. Rose is research professional II and J. LaDon Day is program coordinator of statewide variety testing 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.
about the time of flag leaf emergence and stripe rust continues to be a concern in central
and south Georgia. Warm and dry weather as harvest approached prompted the crops to
mature rapidly and resulted in an earlier than usual harvest.
Wheat acres harvested for grain were 27% less than last season and average yield
was 52 bushels per acre for an expected production total of 7.28 million bushels, 15% less
than in 2005. Harvested oat acreage decreased 20% to 20,000 acres and produced 1.2
million bushels from a 60 bushel per acre yield. The majority of the 270,000 acres of rye
planted in Georgia is intended for temporary pasture and cover crops; only 30,000 acres,
or 11%, was harvested for grain in 2006. Rye grain production totaled 0.81 million bushels
from a 27 bushel per acre yield this year and ranked second in the U.S. in acreage planted
and grain produced.