Impact of planting date and seeding rate on grain and forage yields of wheat in Texas

Wheat serves three very important roles to producers in Texas and many states in the Great Plains. First, wheat is used as a cool season forage crop for livestock grazing. Second, wheat serves as a grain only crop. Third, wheat is used as both a forage and grain crop in the same season and is commonly referred to as a dual-use or dual-purpose crop. Previous research has demonstrated that planting date can significantly affect the success of these various production strategies. When wheat is planted early, more forage will be available for livestock; conversely, a delayed planting date should achieve a higher grain yield. The objective of this research was to determine the optimum seeding rate as planting date changes for wheat as a grain-only and dual-purpose crop in central Texas. Six different planting dates were evaluated starting with a target date of September 1st and having 14 d intervals between each planting date. Seeding rates were 34, 67, 101, and 135 kg ha-1 for Agri-Pro Cutter wheat variety. Results from the three year study showed that planting date had the greatest impact on forage and grain yields. Higher seeding rates maximized grain yields at the later planting dates, while lower seeding rates yielded higher for the earlier dates. Forage yields were maximized when planted prior to October 1st, while grain yields were maximized at the mid-October to early-November dates. This research study demonstrated that producers could lower their seeding rates to between 34 and 67 kg ha-1 without sacrificing grain and season-long forage yields.