Optimal time to remove cattle from wheat pastures: First hollow stem
Grazing termination is an important factor in determining wheat’s recovery potential and ability to produce grain following grazing. First hollow stem (FHS) is the optimal time to remove cattle from wheat pastures to protect grain yield potential.
First hollow stem update: February 28, 2020
As wheat breaks dormancy, producers need to monitor its progression toward first hollow stem if they are grazing their wheat. Read more about assessing first hollow stem in wheat in this article from Dr. Romulo Lollato and his team.
First hollow stem update: March 2, 2020
This report provides producers an update on the progress of first hollow stem (FHS) development in different wheat varieties. Identifying FHS is crucial if wheat is being grazed. These updates will run every week until all test varieties reach FHS.
First hollow stem update: March 11, 2020
The K-State Wheat team continues to monitor winter wheat plots for first hollow stem. Read the latest update on this critical growth stage in wheat. Are any varieties getting close as of the last measurement on March 11?
First hollow stem update: March 18, 2020
Since the last measurement on March 11, several wheat varieties have reached first hollow stem. This article details which test varieties have progressed to this growth stage and why it's important.
First hollow stem update: March 26, 2020
As of March 26, all 28 wheat varieties had reached first hollow stem. Producers are advised to closely monitor their wheat pastures if they are being grazed. Read more in this article from the KSU Wheat group.
Optimal time to remove cattle from wheat pastures: First hollow stem
When using winter wheat as both a forage and a grain, it's important to terminate grazing at the optimal time. Avoid reductions in yield by removing cattle from wheat fields at the first hollow stem stage of development.
First hollow stem update: March 18, 2021
Cattle should be removed from wheat pastures when the crop reaches first hollow stem (FHS). Grazing past this stage can severely affect wheat yields. This article reports on the progress of 34 different wheat varieties commonly grown in Kansas.
First hollow stem update: March 23, 2021
Wheat development is progressing across Kansas. Two varieties monitored by the KSU Wheat team have reached first hollow stem. Producers that graze their wheat are urged to closely monitor an ungrazed portion of their fields so they can terminate grazing at the appropriate time.
First hollow stem update: March 26, 2021
Cattle should be removed from wheat pastures when the crop reaches first hollow stem. Since the last update from the K-State Extension Wheat and Forages team on March 23, a few more varieties have reached this growth stage.
First hollow stem update: April 1, 2021
Winter wheat development is progressing quickly as the soil and air temperatures warm up. Read the latest update from the Wheat Extension team on which varieties have reached first hollow stem in their wheat plots.
First hollow stem update: April 8, 2021
This is the last first hollow stem update for this wheat growing season. All varieties in the K-State trials have reached first hollow stem. Make sure to remove cattle from grazing to avoid yield losses when wheat has reached this stage.
Optimal time to remove cattle from wheat pastures: First hollow stem
The unique climate characteristics of the Southern Great Plains allow producers to use wheat as a forage and grain crop (dual-purpose), potentially increasing overall profitability compared to grain-only or forage-only systems. First hollow stem is the optimal time to remove cattle to protect grain yield potential.
First hollow stem update - March 18, 2022
Cattle should be removed from wheat pastures when the crop reaches first hollow stem. This article is the first of several updates on the status of 19 wheat varieties being monitored for first hollow stem by the KSU Extension Wheat team.
New tool for estimating first hollow stem in wheat from Kansas Mesonet
Winter wheat is beginning to break dormancy, and the Kansas Mesonet has introduced a new tool to help track crop development. The Wheat First Hollow Stem online tool can be accessed from the Kansas Mesonet website. This article offers guidance on how to best use this free resource.
First hollow stem update - March 24, 2022
Cattle should be removed from wheat pastures when the crop reaches first hollow stem. Grazing past this stage can severely affect wheat yields. Find out which varieties in K-State's trials have already reached this threshold in the last week.
First hollow stem update - March 28, 2022
Since the last update, several wheat varieties monitored by the K-State Extension Wheat and Forages team have reached first hollow stem. Producers are advised to monitor their fields closely if they are being grazed to avoid yield loss. Learn which varieties have reached this threshold in this article.
First hollow stem update (31 March 2022)
Cattle should be removed from wheat pastures when the crop reaches first hollow stem (FHS). Grazing past this stage can severely affect wheat yields (for a full explanation, please refer to the eUpdate article “Optimal time to remove cattle from wheat pastures: First hollow stem”). All varieties except for LCS Julep had elongated more than 1.5 cm first hollow stem as of 29 March 2022. We will report first hollow stem early next weeks until all varieties are past this stage.
First hollow stem update (7 April 2022)
All varieties had elongated more than 1.5 cm first hollow stem as of 4 April 2022. The intention of this report is to provide producers an update on the progress of first hollow stem development in different wheat varieties. Producers should use this information as a guide, but it is extremely important to monitor FHS from an ungrazed portion of each individual wheat pasture to make the decision of removing cattle from wheat pastures.
Optimal time to remove cattle from wheat pastures: First hollow stem
The unique climate characteristics of the Southern Great Plains allow producers to use wheat as a forage and grain crop. Date of grazing termination is an important factor in determining wheat’s recovery potential and ability to produce grain. First hollow stem is the optimal time to remove cattle from wheat pastures to protect grain yield potential.
First hollow stem update - March 2, 2023
Cattle should be removed from wheat pastures when the crop reaches first hollow stem. Grazing past this stage can severely affect wheat yields. The K-State Extension Wheat and Forages group measures first hollow stem on a weekly basis in 22 different commonly grown wheat varieties in Kansas. This is the first report for 2023.
Wheat growth and development: Tool for estimating first hollow stem
Winter wheat is beginning to break dormancy, and the Kansas Mesonet has a tool to help track crop development. This tool provides the propability of first hollow stem occurrence for wheat varieties in Kansas. This is important for dual-purpose wheat growers because it is the optimal time for grazing termination to maximize forage yield while minimizing grain yield losses.
First hollow stem update - March 13, 2023
This is the latest report on the status of first hollow stem development as tested by the K-State Extension Wheat and Forages team. Producers should use this information as a guide and monitor FHS from an ungrazed portion of each individual wheat pasture to make the decision of removing cattle from wheat pastures.
First hollow stem update - March 23, 2023
The development of first hollow stem in Kansas test plots is still being monitored. This report includes the latest measurements for 22 wheat varieties grown at the K-State's South Central Experiment Field near Hutchinson. First hollow stem is generally achieved within a few days after the stem starts to elongate.
First hollow stem update - March 30, 2023
Wheat is continuing to progress across Kansas. The latest report on the first hollow development states that two varieties have reached this stage. Cattle should be removed from wheat pastures when the crop reaches first hollow stem. Grazing past this stage can severely affect wheat yields.
First hollow stem update - April 6, 2023
This is the latest report tracking the development of first hollow stem in winter wheat grown at the South Central Kansas Experiment Station. As of April 3, all 21 varieties have reached this growth stage. Cattle should be removed from wheat pastures if these are to be harvested for grain yield.
Dual-purpose wheat variety performance 2023
An updated publication is now available in the Wheat Rx series that examines the performance of several wheat varieties grown for use in a dual-purpose system. This publication evaluates fall forage yield, date of first hollow stem, plant height, grain yield, and test weight of varieties in a dual-purpose system versus a grain-only system.
dual purpose Performance Tests grazing wheat first hollow stem
Optimal time to remove cattle from wheat pastures: First hollow stem
The unique climate characteristics of the US southern Great Plains allow producers to use wheat as a forage and grain crop (dual-purpose). The date of grazing termination is an important factor in determining wheat's recovery potential and ability to produce grain. First hollow stem (FHS) is the optimal time to remove cattle from wheat pastures to protect grain yield potential.
First hollow stem update - Feb. 29, 2024
Cattle should be removed from wheat pastures when the crop reaches first hollow stem. This report intends to provide producers with an update on the progress of the first hollow stem development in different wheat varieties. It is crucial to monitor FHS from an ungrazed portion of each individual wheat pasture to decide on removing cattle from wheat pastures.
First hollow stem update - March 14, 2024
Cattle should be removed from wheat pastures when the crop reaches first hollow stem. Grazing past this stage can severely affect wheat yields. This article reports the latest measurements tracking the progression of first hollow stem by the K-State Wheat and Forages Team of 16 commonly grown wheat varieties.
First hollow stem update - March 27, 2024
Cattle should be removed from wheat pastures when the crop reaches first hollow stem (FHS). This report provides producers with an update on the progress of FHS development in different wheat varieties. For producers, it is extremely important to monitor FHS from an ungrazed portion of each individual wheat pasture.