Wheat Production in Mississippi
The 2010 MSU Wheat Variety Trials Publication is now available.
Mississippi growers planted an estimated 500,000 acres of wheat in 2007-2008, a 130,000 acre or 35% increase from the previous year. This acreage is more than double the amount Mississippi growers have produced since the early 1990’s.
Mississippi growers produced an estimated record of 59 bushels per acre or 28.32 million bushels in 2008. Growers produced very good grain yields in spite of abundant rainfall from February through early May. Also, many growers in south and central Mississippi suffered severe damage from freezing temperatures on April 15, 2008. The extent of wheat grain yield loss depended upon crop growth stage, actual low temperature and its duration.
Mississippi growers planted more wheat primarily because commodity prices were very good relative to other crops. Wheat generates income earlier in the season, and permits double-cropping a subsequent crop during the summer, if a grower chooses.
Wheat production has served as a low risk, low input, and consistent-yielding crop relative to summer row crops.
Wheat may fit into many cropping systems because it may allow double-cropping and it is a winter crop, which may raise cash-flow during the off-season and does not demand a lot of management during high activity times for the major summer crops.
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