Winter rye: varieties and cultivation technology, yield and sowing dates

Winter rye is an important agricultural crop that belongs to cereals. It is also considered an effective green manure. Planting this type of plant is required in late summer or autumn. Thanks to this, in the spring or early summer it will be possible to get a crop. To make it abundant enough, you will have to follow a number of important rules and recommendations.

Description of winter rye

Botanically speaking, rye belongs to the cereal family. Within this species, there are many cultivars. They differ from each other in the color of the grains, the degree of pubescence of the stem and the size of the ear.

Root system

Rye is bushy near the base. It has a fibrous root system. It is considered the most powerful and developed among all cereals. Rye roots can grow up to 2 meters deep. In a favorable climate, one plant can have up to 15 million roots. They include germinal primary and nodal secondary roots, which absorb beneficial elements well.

Stem

The stalk of cereal is a hollow straw, which includes 4-7 knees or internodes. They are connected to each other by noticeable knots. From below, the thickness of the internodes is 6-7 millimeters, from above - 2-4.

Height of breeding rye species is a maximum of 150 centimeters, wild - can exceed 180 centimeters. The leaves and stem are green in color. They are covered with a wax coating, giving a bluish color. During ripening, the shade becomes gray-green, yellowish, golden.

Spike

From the point of view of botany, the inflorescence of a plant is considered a complex ear of an unfinished type. This is due to the absence of the apical spikelet. An ear includes two- or three-flowered spikelets attached to a stem. The caryopsis has an elongated or oval shape and is slightly flattened laterally. The top is naked or pubescent. The length of the ear is determined by the variety and reaches 8-17 centimeters.

Rye is wind pollinated and is considered a cross pollinated crop. However, some breeding plants are self-pollinating. They are designed for regions with risky farming.

Popular varieties

There are many varieties of winter rye, but only a few of them are considered in demand. Such crops are characterized by consistently high yields, resistance to frost, and undemanding care.

Popular varieties of winter rye include:

1. Synthetic 38 - reaches 120 centimeters in height and is distinguished by pronounced bushiness. The plant is characterized by large oval grains covered with fluff. Germination parameters reach 94%. The culture is resistant to drought, lodging and shedding. It also has moderate frost and disease resistance.
2. Kharkovskaya 78 - reaches a height of 130 centimeters. It is characterized by dark green grains, covered with a pronounced bloom. The plant is resistant to frost, dry weather and lodging. It is also characterized by resistance to certain types of diseases - rust, mold, ash.
3. Relay race of Tatarstan - diploid type culture is distinguished by long prismatic spikes. The variety is considered medium late. It is characterized by a high degree of resistance to leaf rust and powdery rose. The height of the bushes reach 125 centimeters.
4. Voskhod 2 - is a mid-season variety of domestic selection, which was bred specifically for non-chernozem regions. The culture has a dense spike of a prismatic shape. In length, it reaches 8-10 centimeters. The grains have a yellow-gray color and an elongated shape. The height of the plant reaches 150 centimeters. The variety is resistant to frost, but has not too good immunity to major diseases.
5. Saratovskaya 7 - is considered a mid-ripening crop. This variety is characterized by high resistance to lodging. Plants have the same height, which greatly facilitates the process of harvesting. Another plus is resistance to major pathologies.

Optimal growing conditions

Rye is considered a unique plant that can be cultivated in different climatic zones. The culture is grown both in Yakutia and in South America. The main advantages of the winter variety include the following:

• weak dependence on weather conditions;
• stable harvest;
• undemanding to soil fertility.

Winter rye is very popular in Russia. It is especially actively grown in areas where other cereals do not give a good harvest due to difficult climatic conditions - high humidity, low temperatures or lack of sun.

The maximum amount of rye in Russia is grown in Stavropol. In this region, the highest average yields are observed - up to 50 centners per 1 hectare. A lot of rye is grown in the Krasnodar Territory, in the Moscow, Lipetsk and Kaliningrad regions.

Cultivation technology

In order for winter rye to bring a rich harvest, it is important to strictly adhere to agrotechnical recommendations.

Soil preparation

Treatment is determined by the predecessor. Before sowing rye on reclamation lands, the field is peeled 7-8 centimeters deep. First you need to remove the predecessor. With late harvesting, there is no need for peeling. In this case, immediately apply manure and plow the soil to a depth of 30 centimeters.

In the spring, the soil is harrowed and cultivated twice. The first time this is done 10 centimeters deep, the second time - 5-6. In summer, the fields where it is planned to plant winter wheat need to be cultivated, peeled, disked and harrowed.

The interval between planting and plowing is 1 month. This period is required for subsidence of the soil. Plowing in the forest-steppe zones and in the subtaiga is carried out to a depth of 25-27 centimeters. In the steppe and forest-steppe regions, the soil needs to be plowed up by 20-22 centimeters.

When the fields are clogged with weeds that are difficult to remove, 1 cultivation should be replaced with herbicide treatment. For this, in particular, it is permissible to use "Roundup".

Optimal planting dates

Sowing winter rye is usually carried out before winter. This is done no earlier than the average daily air temperature is + 15-16 degrees. Before frost should remain about 50 days. If the air temperature drops to the indicated levels, the probability of damage to crops by the Swedish or Hessian fly is significantly reduced.

Crop rotation

The optimal predecessors of winter crops include early varieties of potatoes, flax, oat-lupine mixtures, corn grown for silage, perennial grasses. In the forest-steppe, it is recommended to plant cereals after winter wheat varieties. In some cases, spring rye becomes a good predecessor.It is also acceptable to use perennial legumes and annual grasses. At the same time, other cereals are not planted before winter rye.

Sowing rules

Sowing winter rye seeds is worth using the following methods:

• Private;
• narrow row;
• diagonally crossed.

Row spacing should be 7.5 centimeters. Many farmers use cross-seeding, which allows plants to be evenly spaced and weed-inhibited. In the case of using the cross and narrow row method, the seeding rate is increased by 8-10%.

Further care

When leaving, it is important to take into account the growth and development of winter rye. In autumn, in closed lowlands, it is recommended to install protective rollers or lay wells to protect plants from wetting.

Plant care includes spring harrowing plantings. This technique helps to loosen the compacted topsoil. This reduces moisture consumption and evaporation and improves aeration. Harrowing helps to get rid of dead leaves and cope with weeds.

Diseases and pests

Common winter rye diseases include:

1. Stem smut - accompanied by the formation of gray stripes on the foliage, which subsequently germinate with black spores. As a result, the yield decreases by 5-6 times.
2. Fusarial root rot - characterized by the destruction of the stems.
3. Powdery mildew - the bushes are covered with bloom, which leads to the death of the leaves.
4. Black and brown bacteriosis - leads to the death of grains and flowering organs.

To avoid the development of pathologies, it is worth following the rules of crop rotation. It is also important to adhere to the following guidelines:

• process seeds;
• use disease-resistant varieties;
• follow the rules for storing grains for sowing;
• properly prepare the soil for sowing;
• timely identify foci of pathologies and use special tools.

In addition to diseases, rye can be affected by the following pests:

• aphid;
• bread beetle;
• bug-turtle.

To cope with parasites, crops are recommended to be treated with insecticidal preparations. For this, it is permissible to use "Force", "Shaman" and others.

Harvest and storage of crops

Winter rye has a high yield. In this case, the grain is important to collect correctly. It should be done with combines. During the harvesting period, the moisture content of the grains should be no more than 20%.

Planting rye to improve soil

The use of rye as green manure contributes to the saturation of the soil with potassium. Its powerful roots provide loosening of the soil, which helps to increase its moisture permeability and protect the soil from erosion. The use of rye to improve soil structure helps to cope with weeds.

Winter rye is an efficient crop with high yields. In order for the plant to grow and develop normally, it is important to choose the right variety and provide it with quality care.

Recommended