Small Grains

An Inland Northwest farmer has been trialing spring and fall-seeded cover cropping for cow-calf grazing and the effects on the following grain crops.

Demand for organic grain has outpaced actual US grain production in recent years. Yet little is known about organic grain production in the Palouse, likely because it comprises a small portion of total crop production. This study takes a closer look. It examines crop productivity under reduced-tillage conditions, provides estimates of field-scale costs, determines the benefits of crop rotation, and describes the principal factors that determine profitability within cropping systems. The verdict: organic grain and forage production can be a profitable niche enterprise within a traditional Palouse nonorganic wheat farm.

In this Extension bulletin, we describe the ecology of jointed goatgrass at various stages of its life cycle, and then relate these characteristics to the effectiveness of cultural practices used for managing jointed goatgrass.

Jointed goatgrass and wheat have a close genetic relationship and share many traits. Understanding the genetic relationship between wheat and jointed goatgrass will help with the development of management strategies. Current herbicide-resistant wheat technology will provide producers with a tool to control jointed goatgrass in the crop.

Versatile and low-input, barley can be used for food, malt, or animal feed: find out here if barley could work as a rotational crop on your farm.

Thinking about growing winter malting barley? This pub will help you to get started, providing an overview of must-know tips and information.

Follow the nine simple steps outlined in this pub to conduct a successful crown viability test on your winter and spring wheat.

In the Pacific Northwest (PNW), wild oat has become a notable weed pest of small grain and rotational crops, including pulse crops, potato, sugar beet, and oilseed crops. It has infested more than 3 million acres of cropland in Idaho, costing small grain growers in the state alone more than 9 million dollars annually in control costs. Feeding its spread is the fact that it has developed resistance to several herbicides. This PNW provides all the basics you need to mount a defense against the stubborn grass, including its identification, crop impacts, and management strategies. A handy table also lists the brand-name herbicides to which the wild oat has developed resistance, upping the odds on your control efforts. Authors: Albert T. Adjesiwor, Drew J. Lyon, Judit Barroso, Joan Campbell