Poor wheat prospects have some Panhandle and South Plains growers looking for alternate crops to plant this spring. Oats may fit the bill, said Texas Cooperative Extension agronomists, Drs. Brent Bean of Amarillo and Calvin Trostle of Lubbock.

   Clearly, the 2004 area wheat crop has gotten off to a poor start. Some farmers who planted wheat after late summer rains saw early season growth for grazing. But, little rain or snow fell over the fall and early winter.

   Single digit temperatures recorded in January also reduced wheat stands. Mid-January precipitation has helped the outlook in some areas, but in many cases it was too little too late, the agronomists said.

   "Spring-planted oats are used for forage, hay or grain. Planting dates run between Feb. 10 and Mar. 15. South Plains farmers should try to plant early during this window," Trostle said.

   "Panhandle growers will have more success by planting later," said Bean, "Oats will germinate at soil temperatures as low as 40 degrees but will emerge and grow quicker with warmer temperatures."

   "Soil moisture and temperature are key in determining how fast the plant will develop," Trostle said. The time between planting and grain harvest also varies greatly from year to year. A 10-day delay in planting will not necessarily mean a 10-day delay in maturity. Nebraska research suggests for every three or four days delay in planting, maturity will be delayed approximately one day.

   Methods for planting oats and wheat are similar. General recommended seeding rates are 50 pounds per acre for dryland and 90 to 100 pounds per acre for irrigated oats.

   Bean and Trostle also suggest lower seeding rates may potentially be used without significantly affecting yield. Their recent tests featured Walken and Troy varieties with seeding rates of 50 and 100 pounds per acre. They saw little yield difference for forage and hay grown at Bushland and Lubbock in 2002 and 2003. At Bushland last year, the grain yield was lower with a reduced seeding rate.

   But what about nitrogen requirements? Bean said oats will need a similar amount to that used when top dressing wheat. Forty to 60 pounds per acre of applied nitrogen is usually sufficient.

   Winter weeds, when present, can be controlled by tillage or herbicide prior to planting. Glyphosate, commonly referred to as Roundup, should be effective on most weeds and grasses and would not force a delay in planting like 2,4-D. If 2,4-D is used, oats should not be planted for a minimum of 10 days. Once the crop is established, labeled herbicides include 2,4-D, Aim, Glean, Buctril and Peak. Ally is not labeled for use in oats.

   Choice of variety depends on how oats are to be used – grazed by livestock, grown for hay or grain production. The three-year variety trials by Bean and Trostle have led them to recommend Walken, Troy and Monida oats for grazing. For hay production, they suggest Charisma, Magnum, Monida, Troy and Walken varieties. If grain is the objective, plant Dallas, Jerry, Nora, and Monida in the Panhandle; in the South Plains, try Dallas, Jerry, Monida, Troy, and Hytest. Varieties with consistently high test weight include Chilocco, Jerry and Monida.

   "When comparing variety prices and making decisions on a seeding rate, producers should remember that a bushel of oats weighs only 32 pounds," Bean said, "A bushel of wheat seed weighs 60 pounds."

   Brand names appearing in this article are used for product identification. No endorsement is intended, nor is criticism of similar products not mentioned.

Writers: Pam Dillard (806) 677-5600, p-dillard@tamu.edu and Tim McAlavy (806) 746-6101, t-mcalavy@tamu.edu