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Small
Grains Management and Production
Although
acreage has dropped to record low numbers of
1,950,000 and 440,000 acres of wheat and barley,
respectively, hard red spring wheat and spring
barley remain the third and fourth largest crops
in Minnesota (Minnesota Agricultural Statistics,
1998). Minnesota's share of the nation's HRSW
production has continued to drop in recent years.
Similarly, Minnesota's share of feed and malt
barley production has declined sharply over the
past number of years. The total spring barley
acreage in Minnesota in 1998 was the lowest in
sixty years (Minnesota Agricultural Statistics,
1998).
The
drop in acreage as well as productivity in recent
years is largely due to delayed planting caused
by wet springs and an epidemic outbreak of Fusarium
head blight (Mc Mullen et al. 1997). This disease
has caused dramatic yield reduction in wheat
and extensive quality problems in both wheat
and barley. It is also estimated that the scab
epidemic has cost wheat and barley producers
in North Dakota and Minnesota an estimated $1.3
billion dollars in the last 5 years (Johnson
et al, 1998).
Over
ninety percent of the state's wheat and barley
production is concentrated in the northwest and
west central crop-reporting district (Minnesota
Agricultural Statistics, 1998). The economic
impact of small grain production to the State
is estimated to be between $300 and $400 million
annually (National Agricultural Statistics Service,
1998). Profitable small grain production is,
therefore, vital to the economic well being of
these districts of the State.
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