These are cool weather crops, and do better before the heat of summer. To avoid high temperatures, and reduce exposure to insects and pathogens, planting date for spring varieties should be as early as possible. Development time for cereal grains is calculated with thermal units. For example, heat units for spring wheat are 1550 and 2200 for winter wheat. 56-lbs. per bushel of test weight.
Test weight is the weight per volume measurement.
Only use pretreated, certified seed for planting cereal crops. Seed should be large and dense. It is good to choose new varieties every 3-4 years to take advantage of the increased yields that are incorporated into these new varieties. It is also recommended to plant 3-4 different varieties to combat the many unpredictable problems that may occur over a growing season. Disease and insect resistance.