In 1833, wheat was first commercially grown in Texas, only to grow in size and qualities. Wheat for grain is one of Texas’ most valuable cash crops. It is usually only exceeded in monetary value by cotton lint, sorghum, and rice. Wheat pastures also provide a considerable amount of winter grazing for cattle. Many farmers plant in September to graze and fatten their stock on the green wheat then market the cattle in the later winter months. This cycle allows the wheat to ripen for harvest in June. Wheat is planted, cultivated, and harvested by machines. The better quality hard red winter wheat is used in the manufacture of flour in commercial baking. Lower qualities and varieties of soft red winter wheat are used in family flours. Byproducts of ground wheat are used for forage. Though there has been a change in the type of wheat established in Texas since 1979, hard red winter wheat still dominates. In this research, I will show the benefits and agronomy of the hard red winter wheat in the dry land and irrigated areas of the panhandle of Texas.
There is a few diseases that affect the wheat here in Texas, to name a few of them: stripe rust, mildew, leaf blotch. Stripe Rust can be originate but appears to only be a concern in more vulnerable varieties. Warmer temperatures are known to encourage leaf rust. In certain regions with predisposed varieties and high moisture conditions, leaf rust is growing and a fungicide management must be studied. Varieties with genetic opposition to rust haven’t shown any yield increases with fungicide applications. Powdery mildew is a fungal disease that reduces yield and quality in certain wheat varieties. It can be difficult to manage once it is started so tactics are needed to prevent or treat early contamination. Mildew can be stubble born, so treatment strategies comprise of controlling volunteer wheat, even crop rotation is used to prevent stubble born contamination and using foliage fungicides. One problem with irrigated wheat over dry land wheat is the fact that powdery mildew, is more inclined to it due to the fact of the added moister and humidity. This same situation is for leaf blotch as well and is susceptible to heavy rainfall mimicked by a watering system like irrigation.
Pests are an uncommon thing in wheat in Texas from what was researched on aphids, mites, and certain worms. Some aphids and mites were observed but abundant natural enemies appear to be keeping the pests below economic thresholds. Several fields of oats and some wheat were infected with Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus indicating there were aphid infestations infected with BYDV in the fall and winter months (6). The next section is on worms and how they affect the plant of the wheat. The main indication is defoliation of the wheat. Worms feed on leaves, eating from the outside to the middle, or on the heads of the wheat. Substantial infestations can be very harsh. Some type of worms may be start eating at the soil surface, others underground consuming the root system, and even others consuming the stem. The larvae are found in cracks in the soil or under rocks during the day, feeding at night or early in the morning. In damp weather, they may feed all day. Cutworms and armyworms periodically trigger destruction, but when they do, they can overwhelm regions (8).
Having irrigated wheat can have a benefit on soil contents, an irrigation system draws water from groundwater, rivers, or lakes, and distributes it over an range. Direct effects of doing this include: reduction in downstream river flow, increased evaporation in the irrigated area, increased level in the water table as groundwater recharge in the area is increased and flow increased in the irrigated area(7). Having dry land wheat can reduce the risk of water-induced problems like waterlogging, certain diseases, and even some socioeconomically impacts. Loamy soil, which is a mixture of sand and soil, delivers supreme nourishment for wheat. The rich, well-draining soil blend of sand, silt and clay allows for quick absorption of water and air by plant roots, which inspires growing. That mixture holds plenty water for the plant to take in nutrients but also drains well to allow air to reach plant roots, making the soil type ideal for most garden plants. Soil stores and transports water and air, and thus nutrients, for plant roots to absorb to encourage growth in the plant above ground. Irrigated set-ups allow for plants to maintain adequate water requirements even though there is not access to loamy soils, where as dry land wheat needs to have more loamy areas to help with yields. Well-draining loamy soils also allow for better dispersal of salts that build up in soils and, at high quantities, reduce a plant's ability to extract water and nutrients (9).
According to some information about harvest reports, dry land yields were good, in the 55 – 65 bu/a range, but protein was substandard at a range of 11 – 11.5 percent. Manufacturers were ecstatic with total yields of 30 – 40 bu/a up to 60 bu/a. While in Irrigated fields, protein turned out better than expected but still not great, averaging around 11%. Yields were good but still variable, ranging from 20 -40 bu/a on average. This certain information was based on inputs and even areas located mostly around the Randall county area. In other parts of the state the yield were slightly better. Southern High Plains situations returned an extensive range of wheat production as some dry land yields topped 70 bu/A with typical yields in the 40 bu/A range. Irrigated yields depended on inputs, but good rainfall in many areas contributed to the potential for yields of 80 bu/A and more in many situations (2). Like situations in prior years, wet conditions over much of the area again promoted encouraging conditions for rust diseases, but the occurrence of stripe rust in 2017 was lower. According to Table 1, it was noticed that harvesting for grain has declined, the reason stated in the source was due to hard weather, and pests that affected the crop. Even though bushels per acre inclined, bushel yield declined sharply, the cause was not known. Referring to Table 2, it states the reason a decline in the wheat industry, mostly due to the fact of price per bushel has dropped significantly over the past several years, although it is still grown for forage, it is not necessarily a cash crop that farmers want to plant to make money on.
Wheat in Texas is one of the most prevalent crops in the province. Texas is the third largest producer in the U.S., harvesting 3.4 million acres annually (1). Wheat ranks third among U.S. field crops in planted acreage, production, and gross farm receipts, behind corn and soybeans. Declining wheat plantings and production are attributable to lower relative returns for wheat, changes in government programs that give farmers more planting flexibility, and increased competition in global wheat markets (3). 45% of wheat grown in Texas is grazed for a forage crop for cattle, the remaining 55% is harvested for use in food products based on facts from Texas Wheat (5). The monetary value to farmers is $288,000,000, generating $973,000,000 for the economy itself. Wheat in Texas is commonly rotated with other crops as in, corn and soybeans, or fallowed. These options are used for a weed management system. Irrigated and dry land wheat will continue as a major crop in Texas for use in food and fall and winter grazing for cattle. What was said in this paper was some history, diseases, pests, soil quality, and yield differences in dry land and irrigated wheat in Texas. The results were shocking and revealing, personally expecting higher yields over irrigated crops and received information that more dry land wheat received higher yields.