Spring wheat: cultivation technology and seeding rates, biological features and varieties

Spring varieties of wheat are considered to be in high demand. They have a lot of advantages and a minimum of disadvantages. This annual or biennial crop is often used as an insurance crop - for overseeding or reseeding winter wheat. Today, many varieties of spring wheat have been bred, which are distinguished by high yields. For their cultivation to be successful, it is required to adhere to the key rules of agricultural technology.

Description of spring wheat

Spring wheat is a herbaceous plant that belongs to the bluegrass family and has special botanical characteristics.The root system of the plant develops throughout the growing season. By the time of flowering, it can reach up to 1.5-2 meters in length. Stems can grow from 30 centimeters to 1.5 meters. The culture is characterized by good bushiness. 1 plant can contain up to 10 stems.

Spring wheat has rather narrow leaves, the width of which usually does not exceed 2 centimeters. They are characterized by a flat shape, parallel veins and many fibers. The foliage also has a rough surface.

The inflorescence is a complex straight spike, the length of which is 4-15 centimeters. Depending on the variety and species, it is ovoid or elongated. On the axis of each ear there are scales up to 1.5 centimeters in size.

Spring wheat has single ears, which are adjacent to the axis in two identical rows. Their length reaches 2 centimeters. Also, the structure includes several closely spaced flowers - about 4-5.You can determine the type of wheat by grain. It comes in reddish, beige or yellow hues.

To grow a crop successfully, it is important to strictly follow the agrotechnical rules. In this case, it is necessary to pay attention to the choice of plant processing scheme.

Yields

Specific yield parameters depend on variety and growing conditions. Modern types of spring wheat are capable of producing more than 30-50 centners of grains per 1 hectare.

Pros and cons

Key benefits of the plant include the following:

Temperature tolerance. The plant perfectly withstands short frosts, prolonged heat and frequent dry winds. Moderate temperature fluctuations do little harm to the cereal.
Sustainability. Spring wheat is characterized by a high degree of resistance to diseases and pests. Innate immunity to Fusarium is considered a special advantage of the culture.
No tendency to shed. By the time of harvest, the crop retains almost its entire crop, even with strong winds.
Productivity. Spring varieties are characterized by excellent yields. They produce high quality grain.

At the same time, spring wheat also has some disadvantages. These include the following:

Weak initial stage. In the first 2 weeks of vegetation, the plant is most susceptible to the influence of negative factors. This primarily applies to roots and productive tillering.
Susceptibility to weeds. Despite the high resistance to diseases and parasites, it will not be possible to cope with weeds without the use of special tools.
Demanding for agricultural technology. It takes a lot of effort to get the maximum yield. This is more about moisture levels and fertilizer application.

Differences from winter

Spring and winter wheat have many differences. They consist in the growing season, the requirements for the composition of the soil, the timing of planting and yield parameters. This helps each farmer to choose the most suitable option.

The main difference between crops is the timing of planting. Spring wheat is planted from March to May. Choosing the best time, you should focus on the climate of the region. Landing work is required to be carried out in a short time. Wind and sun can pull moisture out of the soil, which has a bad effect on crop yields.

Winter wheat should be planted from late summer to mid-October. If this is done too early, the plantings will become too dense. As a result, the plant will lose resistance to drought and parasites.However, there is no need to postpone the landing either. In this case, the plants will not have time to grow greens. As a result, productivity decreases, stress resistance decreases.

Varieties and species

Such wheat is soft and hard. Thanks to breeding achievements, there are many varieties of such crops, and this number is increasing all the time.

Soft

This variety of wheat has thin and hollow stems. It is characterized by floury, semi-vitreous or vitreous grains. This type of plant is best grown in areas with consistently high air humidity, as the crop can hardly withstand drought. At the same time, soft wheat has less requirements for soil fertility and does not suffer from weeds as much.

The most popular soft wheat varieties include:

Daria - has a short growing season and high yields. The plant resists powdery mildew well and does not tend to lodging. In this case, the variety may suffer from brown rust.
Irgina is an early ripe variety that is often grown in the southern regions of Russia. It is characterized by high productivity. The crop is resistant to lodging.
Lada - is an early ripe variety with high yield. It is characterized by resistance to powdery mildew.

Hard

These varieties of wheat are characterized by a thick stem and small hard grains. Plants develop well in continental climates, which are characterized by short, hot and dry summers. Durum wheat withstands dry weather and hot winds much better.

The most popular varieties of durum wheat include:

Orenburgskaya 10 is a great option for beginners. It is characterized by medium resistance to drought, shedding and lodging.
Bezenchukskaya steppe - is distinguished by an average ripening period and resistance to lodging. At the same time, the plant is very resistant to drought and allows you to get high-quality flour.
Kharkovskaya 39 - allows you to get high quality flour. The plant is characterized by amber grains of high vitreousness. The plant is characterized by medium resistance to hard smut, powdery mildew, swedish fly. At the same time, it practically does not suffer from leaf rust or loose smut.

Growing Rules

In order for spring wheat to give a good harvest, it is worth adhering to certain recommendations for growing this crop.

Precursors

When planting a plant, it is important to follow the rules of crop rotation. The following should be taken into account:

The best predecessors are legumes, winter wheat, rapeseed, perennial grasses.
If barley grew on the field before, it is better to choose another place. Otherwise, there is a risk of reduced yields and reduced gluten content in fruits.
Re-seeding of spring wheat should be avoided. Otherwise, the risk of developing root rot increases by 50%.

Preparation of soil and seeds

Soil preparation begins with the selection of the optimal composition. Wheat grows best in the Black Earth region. With strict observance of the rules of agricultural technology, the harvest can be obtained from gray forest and sod-podzolic soil. At the same stage, top dressing is required.

When cultivating the soil, consider the following:

For virgin and fallow lands, mouldboard plowing is carried out with a plow with skimmers. In this case, the processing depth should be 20-25 centimeters.
On saline and light chestnut soil, plowing to a depth of 10-15 centimeters is effective.
With a large surface layer of turf, preliminary disking is carried out before arable work.

Equally important is the observance of the rules for the preparation of seed material. It is recommended to do the following:

Decontaminate grains. This will help get rid of pathogens that are on the surface and inside the seeds. The procedure also protects planting material from diseases and pests that are present in the soil. The most effective drugs include Benomyl, Tebuconazole, Flutriafol.
Warm up the seeds. To do this, they need to be put in the sun for 3-4 days.

When growing spring wheat, it is required to observe the seeding rate. It is 4-6 million per hectare to obtain 500-600 productive stems from 1 square meter.In regions favorable for planting spring varieties, the planting rate can be reduced to 2.5-3.5 million per hectare. As a result, it will be possible to obtain 350-400 productive stems per 1 square meter.

Landing

The timing of sowing and the technology of cultivation of this type of wheat are determined by the conditions of the region. The optimal landing method is narrow-row. With it, the seeding rate increases, but at the same time, the yield parameters increase by 2-3 centners.

It is also acceptable to use tape and ordinary methods. The cross method is almost never used because it does not meet the agrotechnical requirements for growing this wheat.

Further care

In order for spring wheat to bring a good harvest, it is important to provide it with the right care. It should include a range of elements.

Packing and harrowing

Soil rolling is recommended in dry regions. For this, various rollers are used. They help level the field and break up clods. If after precipitation a crust has formed on the surface of the earth, it is worth harrowing the earth.

Fertilizers

Feeding favorably affects the germination of wheat, helps to form powerful plants and strengthen their immunity. This type of culture needs root application of potassium and phosphorus. Foliar nitrogen supplements make the grains of better quality by increasing the protein content in their composition. To activate the growth of culture, it is worth making boron, zinc, copper, manganese, molybdenum.

Liquid fertilizers based on potassium and nitrogen cannot be used for spring wheat. They increase the concentration of minerals in the soil and make the emergence of seedlings less friendly.

Irrigation

The watering rate is determined by the physical characteristics of the soil and the desired depth of moisture. However, on average, this type of wheat requires 600-800 cubic meters of water per 1 hectare. The plant experiences a special need for moisture at such stages:

appearance of shoots;
trumpeting;
beginning of flowering;
before shaping and filling beans.

Weed control

An important step in the care of wheat is the fight against weeds, which adversely affect its yield. Herbicides should be selected depending on the composition of the grass, its abundance and climate. For this purpose, you can use "Hurricane", "Roundup".

Weed, disease and pest control

When growing spring wheat, it is worth considering the biological characteristics of the plant. Of the diseases, Fusarium and Septoria are the most dangerous. To combat them, you can use different fungicides - "Folikur", "Albit", "Tilt".

Of the pests, thrips, a harmful turtle, bread beetles are dangerous. Insecticides will help to cope with them. Effective means include Decis, Sumi-Alpha.

Possible problems

Possible crop problems include diseases and pests. Of the diseases, the greatest danger is septoria, snow mold, and powdery mildew. Albit, Fitolavin, Karbezim will help to cope with them.

From parasites, spring wheat suffers from bread beetles, harmful turtles, thrips. "Decis", "Sumi-alpha" help to destroy pests.

Cleaning and storage

Grain is harvested depending on its ripeness. Terms in the Kemerovo region and in the south of Russia are different. If wheat is grown in the east of the steppe zone and in the west, some features must be taken into account. Grain can be harvested by direct combining or by a separate method.After that, it needs to be cleaned and dried.

In order for the cultivation of spring wheat to be successful, it is important to strictly adhere to the rules of agricultural technology. The culture is demanding on the composition of the soil and climate.