Released: March 05, 2002

Not Too Late To Plant Spring Cereal Crops

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Even as temperatures still run the risk of dipping into single digits, now’s the time to plant spring cereal crops, said Kansas State University agronomist Jim Shroyer.

Cereal crops may be a particularly good idea this year in areas where growers may have poor wheat stands and limited growth as a result of last year’s drought.

"When something happens to the wheat crop, spring cereals can be a good fill-in crop," said Shroyer, who is a crop production specialist with K-State Research and Extension.

Spring oats, barley and wheat should be planted by early March, for best results, he added.

Barley works well in northern and northwest Kansas and makes better silage than hay. Oats can work as silage or hay and can be grown throughout the state, he said.

"Because spring cereals continue to be undervalued, I recommend producers have the least possible costs associated with the crop," he said. "To plant the spring cereal, I would no-till into any residue without disturbing the soil and use 40 pounds nitrogen maximum to keep costs down."

Where spring cereal crops are planted into failed wheat fields, it’s important to remember that the resulting crop – be it oats, spring wheat or barley – will have winter wheat mixed in. For that reason it should be used only for livestock feed or forage rather than going into the marketing chain, Shroyer said.

Seeding rates and yields of these crops vary across the state.

For oats, the seeding rate is 32 to 50 pounds in the west, 48 to 64 pounds in central areas and up to 96 pounds in the east. The highest yields typically come out of south central Kansas, where yields average 50 to 80 bushels per acre.

For barley, the seeding rate is 48 to 60 pounds in the west, 60 to 96 pounds in the central part of the state, and up to 96 pounds in the east, the scientist said.

Shroyer recommends spring wheat seeding rates of 75 to 90 pounds per acre in the western portion of the state, and 90 to 120 pounds per acre in central and eastern areas.

Growers should keep in mind that while spring wheat can be a good choice in some areas, the spring wheats available to Kansans are not really adapted to Kansas, he said. They mature later, which makes them more vulnerable to heat and drought stress. However, if Kansas has a cool, late spring, they can work well, he added. 

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K-State Research and Extension is a short name for the Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service, a program designed to generate and distribute useful knowledge for the well-being of Kansans. Supported by county, state, federal and private funds, the program has county Extension offices, experiment fields, area Extension offices and regional research centers statewide. Its headquarters is on the K-State campus, Manhattan.

Story by:
Mary Lou Peter, Communications Specialist
mlpeter@oznet.ksu.edu
K-State Research& Extension News