Oat yields from 70 to 80 bushels per acre are common. Yields of more than 100 bushels per acre have been made under good management and favorable weather conditions. The most cold tolerant of the small grains is rye, followed by barley, wheat, and oats. Because of its cold tolerance, wheat is grown throughout Mississippi. In severe winters, wheat may be killed or damaged in the northern half of the state.
Oats are subject to winterkill or damage throughout the state.
The period of time varies with variety, but somewhere between 4 and 9 weeks of low temperatures are required. This process is called vernalization. In some years, south Mississippi doesn't have enough cold weather for winter wheat, causing little or no seed-head production Land Selection and Preparation Small grains are adapted to soil types throughout the state. Avoid areas such as the wet, poorly drained, heavy soils of the Delta and the wet, bottom areas of the Hill section. Wheat and oats will not tolerate poor drainage conditions and still produce an economical yield.