Field Crops - Small Grains

Small Grains

Small Grains Agronomy

Small Grains Pests

Small Grains Publications

Oct 2015

Wheat and Barley Varieties for Arizona 2015

Publication (PDF, 657KB)

Authors: Dr. Michael J. Ottman

Contains a list of some of the different varieties of Wheat and Barley. There is also a chart detailing some of the yield information relating to each of the varieties.
May 2015

Fertilizing Small Grains in Arizona

Publication (PDF, 454KB)

Authors: Michael J. Ottman and Tom Thompson

Nitrogen is the primary fertilizer nutrient required by wheat and barley. This article describes the optimum nitrogen fertilizer rate, nitrogen fertilizer scheduling, and how to boost grain protein content.
May 2015

Irrigation of Small Grains in Arizona

Publication (PDF, 532KB)

Authors: Steve Husman and Michael J. Ottman

Wheat and barley use about 2 ft of water in Arizona, but 3 to 3.5 ft of applied water is often required with surface flood irrigation due inefficiencies in the irrigation system. Some suggestion on how to irrigate your small grains are made, including when and how much.
May 2015

Small Grain Growth and Development

Publication (PDF, 443KB)

Authors: Michael J. Ottman

Small grain growth and development can be divided into several major and minor stages. This article discusses those stages and what to look as the crop develops. A chart also details the timing of management operations during crop development.
May 2015

Planting Dates For Small Grains in Arizona

Publication (PDF, 403KB)

Authors: Michael J. Ottman

Planting at the optimum time is probably the most important cultural practice in producing high small grain yields. Wheat and barley crops that are planted too early or too late have lower yield potential no matter how they are grown after planting. Some suggestions on planting dates are outlined in this article.
May 2015

Planting Methods For Small Grains in Arizona

Publication (PDF, 320KB)

Authors: Michael J. Ottman

Small grains are planted for a variety of reasons, but their rotational benefit makes them a popular crop all over the world and influences the way they are planted. One of the major benefits of small grains as rotational crops is that they cover the soil and suppress weeds
May 2015

Cultural Practices for Karnal Bunt Control

Publication (PDF, 1.35MB)

Authors: Michael J. Ottman

Karnal bunt is a disease of wheat, durum, and triticale caused by the fungal pathogen Tilletia indica Mitra. Karnal bunt was first reported in India in 1931. This article discusses it's cycle, symptoms, and suggestions on how to control it.
Oct 2014

Small Grains Variety Evaluation at Arizona City, Maricopa and Yuma

Publication (PDF, 244KB)

Authors: M. J. Ottman

Small grain varieties are evaluated each year by University of Arizona personnel. The purpose of these tests is to characterize varieties in terms of yield and other attributes. This article describes the procedure.
Oct 2014

Research Report Effect of Planting Date on Wheat Yield in Yuma

Publication (PDF, 176KB)

Authors: M. J. Ottman

Planting dates are known to affect wheat yields. Previous research has shown that the optimum planting date in Yuma is December 15 to January 15. This research paper tested six different planting dates with a wide range of varieties of wheat.
Jun 2014

Determination of optimal planting configuration of low input and organic barley and wheat production in Arizona

Publication (PDF, 680KB)

Authors: P. Andrade-Sanchez and M. J. Ottman

Markets for organic barley and wheat are expanding. A major problem growing organic barley and wheat is controlling the weeds. This paper outlines a study of growing organic barley documenting the weed pressures.
Jun 2014

Sensor-based management of Nitrogen of irrigated durum wheat in Arizona

Publication

Authors: Pedro Andrade-Sanchez and Michael J. Ottman

It can be difficult to accurately apply the proper amount of nutrients to wheat due to their varying sizes and densities. Current field equipment can already vary the rate of fertilizer dispersal, but it needs to be controlled by an algorithm. An algorithm is being developed for that purpose.
Jan 2014

Recommendations for Growing Standard-Height Wheat Varieties in Arizona

Publication (PDF, 537KB)

Authors: Mike Ottman and Joy M. Hought

Until the introduction of semi-dwarf wheat in the late 1960s, wheat varieties were typically one and a half to two times their current height. Most "standard height" wheat varieties are adapted to lower-input conditions, and cannot tolerate high-fertility environments without lodging. Planting date, seeding rate, nitrogen rate, phosphorus rate, and irrigation are discussed in this article.
Jun 2013

Operation of Yield Monitors in Central Arizona: Grains and Cotton

Publication (PDF, 1.19MB)

Authors: Pedro Andrade-Sanchez and John T. Heun

Yield maps can be an important management tool to quantify the impact of management practices including water, fertility, pest control, variety selection, etc. Yield monitoring technology provides farm managers with information to improve input utilization, therefore many guidelines for their use are available online, including university cooperative extension bulletins for grain crops, and cotton.
May 2012

An Introduction to the Use of Reference Strips for N Management in Durum Wheat

Publication (PDF, 642KB)

Authors: Guangyao (Sam) Wang

A proper application of nitrogen fertilizer can be somewhat difficult for Arizona growers due to a varying amount of nitrogen needed from year to year. This article explains the use of reference strips for assessing the proper amount of nitrogen fertilizer needed that year.
Dec 2011

Small Grain Irrigation

Publication (PDF, 413KB)

Authors: Shawna Loper and Mike Ottman

This document has a quick breakdown of some of the most important factors to consider when irrigating small grains. Topics such as seasonal water use, the first irrigation, last irrigation, and soil water balance methods.
Dec 2011

Determining the Amount of Irrigation Water Applied to a Field

Publication (PDF, 535KB)

Authors: Edward C. Martin

Critical to any irrigation management approach is an accurate estimate of the amount of water applied to a field. Estimating the amount of water applied to a field or to a set is fairly easy for surface systems.
Oct 2011

Pre-plant Soil Testing for Small Grains

Publication (PDF, 893KB)

Authors: Guangyao (Sam) Wang, Shawna Loper, Mike Ottman, and James Walworth

Pre-plant soil sampling is critical for profitable crop production. Soil analysis can help decide pre-plant fertilizer application. Generally only nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer applications are ever needed in Arizona.
Mar 2011

Lodging Control for Wheat and Barley in Arizona

Publication (PDF, 366KB)

Authors: Mike Ottman

Wheat and barley crops are susceptible to lodging, the bending over of the stems near the ground level. Suggestions on how to control this are outlined in this article. Herbicides, fungicides, and cultural/environmental factors.
Aug 2010

Minimum tillage for wheat following winter vegetables

Publication

Authors: Kurt Nolte, Mike Ottman, Trent Teegerstrom and Guangyao (Sam) Wang

Wheat is typically grown after cotton or other field crops in most of Arizona except for Yuma County where wheat is planted after winter vegetables. This article describes the benefits of utilizing the minimum tillage threshold when planting wheat after other crops.
Apr 2008

Weed Control for Wheat and Barley in the Low Deserts of Arizona

Publication (PDF, 454KB)

Authors: Mike Ottman and Barry Tickes

Although wheat and barley are vigorous crops that rapidly cover the soil surface and often out-compete weeds, weeds can still become a problem with certain cultural practices. This article gives some suggestions on the usage of herbicides when they become necessary.
Nov 1994

Solum Barley

Publication (PDF, 2.74MB)

Authors: Michael Ottman, Stephen H. Husman

Solum barley was released in 1992 for grain or forage production under reduced water use conditions. Solum barley was developed over the course of 18 years with low input and reduced water usage in mind. This article describes some of its history, uses, planting dates, seeding rates, and characteristics.
Sep 1992

Diseases and Nutritional Disorders of Wheat, Barley, and Oats

Publication (PDF, 7.13MB)

Authors: Richard Hine, Mike Ottman, and Thomas Doerge

The cultivation of wheat, barley, and oats has been around for a long time. There have been many different types of diseases that can attack these crops. This article talks about the diseases that are important to Arizona growers and discusses their symptoms.
May 1991

Nitrogen Management Guide for Small Grains

Publication (PDF, 334KB)

Authors: Thomas A. Doerge, Robert L. Roth, Bryant R. Gardner

The level of nitrogen fertility has more influence on the growth and yield of Small Grains than any other single plant nutrient because it is the nutrient most often deficient in Arizona soils.
Dec 1989

Growing Oats in Arizona

Publication (PDF, 1.62MB)

Authors: Mike Ottman

Oat production has decreased significantly in the United States over the course of the last century. It is still grown as a relatively minor crop in Arizonan agriculture. This article outlines some different varieties and cultural practices in regards to oat production.
Jun 1989

Winter Grass Pasture For Low Desert Valleys In Arizona

Publication (PDF, 863KB)

Authors: Michael Ottman and David Kopec

Crops that can be used for winter grass pasture are barley, oats, wheat and common or tetraploid ryegrasss. Suggestions on planting time, seeding rate, fertilizing, irrigating, harvest and management are discussed.

Small Grains Presentations

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