Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service specialists and county agents will join Texas A&M AgriLife Research small grains breeders across the state to host field days for the next month as a part of the annual Statewide Small Grains Tour.

a small grains crop - golden wheat is contrast against a cloud-filled blue sky with a definite row down the middle.
Small grain crops across Texas will ripen over the next month. Wheat producers are invited to attend one of 17 field days across the state to hear how varieties perform this year in the different regions. (Sam Craft/Texas A&M AgriLife)

The season begins on April 22 in Bell County and ends on May 22 in Amarillo. Individual crop tours may feature small grains strip trials, wheat and oat grain trials, wheat dual-purpose trials, and multispecies forage trials.

These events will allow attendees to view varietal research plots and hear from industry professionals such as agronomists, small grains breeders, plant pathologists, agriculture economists, crop consultants and others. They will cover a wide array of topics such as pest and disease resistance and management as well as grain economics.

“Our small grains variety tours will focus on historical yield performance for both grain and forage of widely recognized and newly developed cultivars,” said Brandon Gerrish, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension agronomist and professor, Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Bryan-College Station.

“Recent rains throughout the state have certainly helped wheat conditions but more will be needed to get it to the finish line,” Gerrish said. “However, the rain also has encouraged the development of leaf rust which now exceeds 75% flag leaf coverage of susceptible varieties at our southern testing sites.”

Funds the Texas Wheat Producers Board provides support wheat research and field days.

On the schedule

The following is a list of the scheduled events, dates, times, locations and contacts for more information:

April 22: Bell County, 8 a.m., Texas A&M AgriLife Blackland Research and Extension Center, 720 E. Blackland Road, Temple — Floyd Ingram, AgriLife Extension agriculture and natural resources agent, 254-933-5305.

April 23: McLennan County, 8 a.m., 2 miles east of McGregor on U.S. Highway 84 — Shane McLellan, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension agriculture and natural resources agent, 254-757-5180.

April 24: Hale County, 8 a.m., 10 miles northeast of Hale Center on Farm-to-Market Road 1914 — Kristie Keys, AgriLife Extension agronomy agent for Castro. Hale and Lamb counties, 325-665-8790.

April 24: Williamson County, 8:30 a.m., 1 mile north of Thrall on County Road 424 — Gary Pastushok, AgriLife Extension agriculture and natural resources agent, 512-943-3300.

April 24: Hill County, 5 p.m., intersection of South County Road 3110 and County Road 3119, Abbott — Zach T. Davis, AgriLife Extension agriculture and natural resources agent, 254-582-4022.

April 25: Comanche County, 10 a.m., 6200 Ranch Road 1476, Gustine — Mike Berry, AgriLife Extension agriculture and natural resources agent, 325-356-2539.

May 1: Concho County, 8 a.m., Millersview Gym, 12199 County Road 6009, Millersview — Brook Nervig, AgriLife Extension agriculture and natural resources agent, 325-732-4304.

May 2: TayIor/Callahan counties, 8 a.m., 9600 County Road 250, Clyde — Steve Estes, AgriLife Extension agriculture and natural resources agent, 325-672-6048.

May 6: Ellis County, 4 p.m., approximately 5 miles southeast of Bardwell on Farm-to-Market Road 984 — Mark Arnold, AgriLife Extension agriculture and natural resources agent, 972-825-5175.

May 7: Grayson County, 9 a.m., intersection of Texas Highway 5 and Dickens Road near Howe — David Drake, AgriLife Extension integrated pest management agent for Hunt County, 903-468-3295.

May 8: Hunt County, 9 a.m., 2157 Farm-to-Market 1569, Greenville — David Drake, AgriLife Extension integrated pest management agent, 903-468-3295.

May 8: Uvalde County, 9 a.m., Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Uvalde, 1619 Garner Field Road, Uvalde — Liza Silva, administrative associate, 830-988-6126.

May 9: Cooke County, 9 a.m., off Westend Road and U.S. Highway 82, Gainesville — Zach A. Davis, AgriLife Extension agriculture and natural resources agent, 940-349-2894.

May 20: Ochiltree County, 10 a.m., 5.5 miles west on Texas Highway 15 out of Perryton and then south 9 miles on County Road 11 — Scott Strawn, AgriLife Extension agriculture and natural resources agent, 806-435-4501.

May 21: Wilbarger County, 8:30 a.m., intersection of County Road 126 E. and Farm-to-Market Road 1763 northeast of Oklaunion, Langdon Reagan, AgriLife Extension agriculture and natural resources agent, 940-552-5474.

May 22: Foard County, 2 miles east of Crowell along U.S. Highway 70, Michael Bowman, AgriLife Extension agricultural and natural resources agent, 940-684-1919.

May 22: Potter County, 8:30 a.m., Texas A&M AgriLife Research Station at Bushland, 2301 Experiment Station Road — Jourdan Bell, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension agronomist, 806-677-5600.

For more information

Those planning to attend a tour should contact individual event coordinators for any questions.

AgriLife Extension variety trial results for the 2025 season will be posted at https://varietytesting.tamu.edu/smallgrains/.

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