Grasses - Wheat - Forages of Florida - Solutions for Your Life - UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences

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Wheat
Species:	Wheat
Scientific Name:	Triticum aestivum
Cultivars:	Medium maturity: SS8641, Pioneer 26R61. Medium to late maturity: USG 3592. For the cool-season forage variety recommendations report, cl ick this link.
Growth Habit:	3-5 feet tall, bunchgrass
Life Cycle:	Annual
Origin:	Turkey
Production Season:	December-April
Nutritive Value:	High quality. Varies depending on management.
Use:	Mostly used for grain. Secondary use is pasture grazing and hay
Adaptation
Soil:	Sandy-loam, clay-loam
pH:	5.5-8.0
Rainfall:	10-66 inches
Temperature:	Cold tolerant. Second most cold tolerant small grain. Less susceptible to freeze injury than oats.
Management
Planting Date:	Oct.15 - Nov.1 (for grazing), Nov.15 - Dec.20 (for grain). Plant only early maturing varieties in mid Dec. and do not plant any variety for grain after that date. For dual use (grazing/grain) plant Oct.15-Nov.1, graze for 2 months (mid Dec-mid Feb) remove cattle at first hollow stem (mid Jan), let produce grain (In dual use there is approx. 25-40% losses in grain yield)
Planting Depth:	1.0 inch
Seeding Rate:	100 to 120 lb/acre for forage. Use 60 to 80 lb/acre for grain.
Seed Cost:	$0.83/lb; $75 to 83/acre
Fertilization:	For fertilization info click this link
Production:	4000 to 6000 lb/acre. Adapted varieties will flower by end Mar-mid Apr. If flowering in mid Apr. filling of head is in hot weather with resulting low weight and yield.
Notes
Graze at 8-12 in and stop grazing at 3-5 in; rest period: 7-15 days Susceptible to leaf and glume 'blotch' (Septoria spp.) and leafspot 'Bipolaris' (formerly Helminthosporium spp.) both cause leaf lesions associated to heavy N fertilization, wet, windy, and warm weather 60 to 77°F.

Wheat

Adaptation

Management

Notes