Farmers learn about cereal grains during Clemson’s Small Grain Day

May 9, 2023May 9, 2023

Clemson University researchers believe wheat and other small grains have a place in South Carolina and are working to revive this part of the state’s agricultural industry.

An estimated 180,000 acres of winter wheat and other small grain crops including oats, rye, and barley, are grown annually in South Carolina. The value of wheat production alone is more than $52 million annually. Clemson researchers believe the state’s farmers could benefit from producing more wheat and other small grains.

To help farmers learn more about growing these crops, researchers from Clemson and other Southeast universities recently held a small grain field day at the BD Research and Education Center (REC) in Florence, South Carolina, providing information on insect pests and diseases, as well as pest control. Weeds, cultivar testing and best management practices.

Richard Boyles, associate professor of plant breeding and genomics and chair of the Grain Breeding and Genetics Program at Pee Dee REC, spoke about the work being done to revive the program, which was re-established in 2017. Boyles annually evaluates thousands of wheat breeding lines developed at Clemson to identify which is best adapted to South Carolina and across the entire southeastern United States.

“We evaluate important traits such as grain yield, test weight and disease resistance,” Boyles said. “To become more efficient, we are using a combination of traditional and advanced plant breeding methods to accelerate progress toward improving wheat yield and adaptability to various stresses.”

Powdery mildew, Fusarium head blight (scab) and rust are diseases being studied.

“These diseases are primarily managed with cultivar resistance and foliar fungicides,” said Kristina Kuger, a plant pathologist with the USDA. Farmers considering treating fields with fungicides should first survey the fields to see if a fungal disease is present. It is unlikely that applying fungicides when there is no fungal disease stress will be profitable, while it is much easier to benefit from fungicides when the disease is present.”

Scab is caused by a fungus that “wakes up” in the spring when the weather is rainy and the relative humidity is high. Scab infection occurs during flowering when young sedge plants flower. Farmers can stay informed about scab risks, as well as sign up for forecast alerts by visiting the US Wheat and Barley Scab Initiative website at https://scabusa.org/.

Weed management in small grains

For weeds, Michael Marshall, herbalist with the Cooperative Extension Service in Clemson, discussed common weeds found in grain crops including: chicory, moss, wild radish, wild mustard, horseweed, primrose, curly tub and wild garlic. He also addressed the Marshals annual ryegrass, or Italian ryegrass.

Italian ryegrass is a problem in cereal crops and weed seed crops. It arises quickly and grows rapidly. In some areas, it is grown as a cover crop and is grown in many pasture settings as a quick food source for livestock and most wild ruminants.

“Italian ryegrass has become resistant to glyphosate,” Marshall said. “We are seeing this resistance increase.”

The best control is achieved by using late applications of pre-emergence or subsequent applications of residual products. Late-emergent sprays are used after planting when 80% of the wheatgrass seeds have germinated and the sprouts are at least ½ inch long. Post-emergent residues are applied when most of the wheat is rising up to the two leaf stage, depending on the herbicide used.

To help prevent resistance and manage ryegrass populations, use herbicides with different modes of action based on rotation and implementing alternate cropping rotations.

Anyone with questions on ryegrass can contact Marshall at [email protected].

Management of insect pests in small grains

Insect pests can also be a problem. Alex Coleman, small grain and sorghum specialist at Clemson Extension, talked about the grain leaf beetle, Hessian fly, stink bugs and armyworm. Hessian flies prefer wheat, but can also be found on triticale, barley and rye crops.

“The Hessian fly is a threat to the wheat crop in South Carolina,” Coleman said. “This insect can cause thin shelves, dead tillers, and late season lodging.”

Coleman said he expects to see an increase in Hessian fly numbers. Following proper planting dates, species selection and seed treatment with insecticides can help control.

Coleman also talked about testing and selection of small grain varieties and best management practices.

Other information received for the field day participants included a discussion about various test plots planted by Mixon Seed.

For more information about Clemson’s grain breeding and genetics program, go to https://bit.ly/3VjoBBh, or contact Richard Boyles at [email protected].

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