Small Grains - Crop Management

Small Grains Crop Management

Nutrient Budget Calculator

The Nutrient Budget Tool is a resource for growers who are interested in adequately providing the correct amount of nutrients for their crops for the optimal yields. This tool allows growers to choose crop type and yield goals into a spreadsheet that will then output the needed fertilizer levels of N, P, K needed to meet projected yield goals. Soil test, irrigation water test, and manure nutrient test analysis results can also be input to calculate the overall results of a crop’s nutrient/fertilizer needs. This tool is designed to help promote soil testing and analysis and to help growers be more cost and nutrient efficient. We plan to expand the Nutrient Budget Tool in the future to incorporate soil salinity levels (EC) and pH to better service the nutrient budget users and provide greater information.

Download:

Nutrient Budget Tool

1. Choose the crop from the list of tabs at the bottom of the screen.

2. Fill in the “Plan Area” field in acres and “Yield Area” field in lbs/acre or tons/acre. Doing this will provide the needed N, P, and K requirements of the specified plan area.

3. Additional numbers from irrigation water analysis, soil analysis and fertilizer analysis from a plan area can be input to factor in to the overall needed requirements for N, P, and K in lbs/plan area.

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Small Grain Crop Management Publications

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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.

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Small Grain Crop Management Presentations

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ARIZONA PEST MANAGEMENT CENTER