Wheat and other Small Grains
Texas farmers and ranchers plant nearly 8 million acres of small grains annually, which
include wheat (>6 million acres), oats (>600 thousand acres), and barley, rye, and
triticale. Uses of small grains include grain production, winter pasture, hay, silage,
wildlife food plots, and covercrops. Texas is the third largest wheat producing state in
the nation, harvesting 3.4 million acres annually. Wheat has a cash value $288 million to
farmers and generates $973 million for the economy. Additionally, small grain pasture
plays a key to the Texas beef cattle industry with excellent forage potential and high
quality. In Texas, approximately 3 million light weight calves as placed on these pastures
for rapid weight gains (>2 lbs/day) prior to shipment to feed lots.
Of the 8 million acres of small grains, more than 6 million are planted to 3 market classes
of wheat, with about 95 percent planted to the hard red winter wheat class, which is
primarily used for making bread. The remaining 5 percent is divided between the soft red
winter wheat crop in the eastern portion of the state and the hard red spring wheat
produced primarily in the southwest. Of the 6 plus million acres of wheat planted
annually, about 40-45 percent is grazed o ut as a forage rather than harvesting for grain.
Approximately 60 percent of the wheat crop is grazed at some time during the growing
season. Beef cattle weight gains of 2.0 to 2.5 pounds per head per day are common on
this high quality forage. For dual-use wheat, livestock are removed in mid- to late winter
and the crop produces a normal crop of grain.
Oat is the next largest small grain crop, with 600,000 to 700,000 acres planted. In Texas,
oats are primarily a forage crop, with about 25 percent harvested for grain and the
remainder grazed until growing terminates in the spring. Oats are preferred by many
ranchers and wildlife enthusiasts as a winter pasture due to rapid and lush fall growth and
excellent forage quality and palatability. Barley, rye, and triticale are produced on
significantly fewer acres, and are primarily produced as winter forage crops, although a
small but significant market exists for Texas barley as a feed grain.