Spring wheat: cultivation technology, features of sowing, cultivation and care

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-07 20:55

About 35% of all grain crops in the world falls on wheat. In purchases, its share is more than 53%. At the same time, Russia is one of the main suppliers of such grain to the world market.

Two varieties of this crop can be grown in the fields: winter and spring. Wheat of the latter type is the main food crop in our country. This agricultural product is mainly used for baking bakery products and the production of alcohol. Of course, all the prescribed technologies for the cultivation of spring wheat must be observed exactly. Otherwise, it will not be possible to grow a good crop of this crop.

A bit of history

According to an ancient legend, the goddess Demeter taught people how to grow wheat. Once upon a time, hard times came for all peoples on earth. Animals have practically disappeared in the forests, and fish in the rivers. People didn't know what to do andalready started to despair. And then Demeter descended from the sky, took a spear from the hands of one of the soldiers and drew a furrow on the ground with it. Then the goddess pulled out several spikelets from the wreath on her head and scattered the grains along the furrow. Soon a wheat field sprang up in this place and hunger receded.

Of course, wheat as a gift from Demeter is nothing more than a beautiful fairy tale. But how did a person actually learn to grow this crop? According to many scientists, the ancestral home of this cereal is Western Asia, Transcaucasia and adjacent regions of Iran and Central Asia.

It is known for certain that wheat was known to the peoples of Europe, Asia and North Africa as early as the Neolithic era. In the 4th millennium BC, this cereal was cultivated in Egypt, China, Mesopotamia and on the territory of modern Switzerland. Wheat was once the main cereal in Persia. In ancient Greece, during the Olympic Games, athletes ate only wholemeal bread.

How does spring wheat differ from winter wheat

In ancient times, this culture was grown, of course, in the simplest way. Today, the development and implementation of technologies for the cultivation of spring wheat, as well as winter wheat, are carried out by highly qualified specialists. But, of course, scientists are also taking into account thousands of years of experience in growing cereals.

Both varieties of wheat - both spring and winter - are widely distributed in Russia. Such varieties differ mainly only in terms of vegetation. For the winter variety, it is approximately 280 days. The technology of spring wheat cultivation makes it possible to obtainHarvest within 100 days after planting. That is, the growing season for such varieties is three times shorter than for winter varieties.

Spring wheat is planted in spring and harvested at the end of the warm season. Winter varieties are planted in autumn. Seedlings of cereals in this case go under the snow. Spring wheat, in comparison with winter wheat, gives smaller yields. However, it is easier to cultivate it in the fields.

Where they plant

In order to get a good harvest of spring wheat, first of all, you should observe crop rotation. Otherwise, the inputs of the previous crop and weeds will clog its plantings, which will lead to a slowdown in its development. It is believed that the best predecessors for spring wheat are legumes and corn. Also, this crop is often planted in the fields after:

• potatoes;
• sugar and fodder beets;
• melons;
• buckwheat;
• linen.

There are several options for crop rotation in fields with spring wheat. For example, the alternation in plantings over the years can be like this:

• peas - spring wheat - spring rapeseed - spring barley;
• peas - winter wheat - spring rapeseed - spring wheat - spring barley.

Durum wheat is usually grown after perennial grasses, bare fallow or fallow. If winter varieties are involved in the crop rotation:

• spring wheat is planted on grass beds;
• on the revs - winter.

This technology of spring wheat cultivation allows making additional mowing followed by disking of the land to a depth of 8-10 cm, and then - 30-32 cm. as a result, the yield of spring wheat increases.

In some cases, varieties of this variety are planted in the field and immediately after winter crops. However, this technology is used only in the most extreme cases. Such a crop rotation, unfortunately, can lead to the accumulation of wheat pests and various pathogens in the fields.

Spring wheat cultivation technology in brief

The process of growing this popular crop in Russia usually includes the following steps:

• preparing the fields themselves;
• preparation of planting material;
• seeding;
• plant care;
• harvesting.

That is, growing wheat is a rather labor-intensive business and requires certain knowledge and skills.

Soil preparation

In our time, the fields most often used, of course, intensive technology of cultivation of spring wheat. You can get a good harvest of such varieties only on previously carefully cultivated soil. Operations before planting spring wheat in the fields are as follows:

• after the predecessor, in the autumn they peel the ground with disc plows in two directions to a depth of 6-8 cm;
• after the growth of weeds, that is, after about 2-3 weeks, they re-treat by 8-10 cm;
• after fertilization, the soil is loosened to a depth of 20-22 cm, usually using plows PLN-5-35 or PN-4-40.

In early spring, after the period of physical ripeness of the soil, the fields allotted for spring wheat are harrowed. Immediately before sowing, the soil is additionally cultivated to the seeding depth.

Fertilization

According to the technology of growing spring wheat, mineral fertilizers are supposed to be used in the fields to obtain good yields. Sometimes soil properties can also be improved with the use of lime. Fertilizers for this crop are selected taking into account the fact that in order to obtain 1 centner of grain, along with straw in the fields, the following must be applied:

• 4 kg nitrogen;
• 1kg of phosphorus oxide;
• 2.5 kg of potassium oxide.

The above figures can be considered conditional. In each region, the rate of fertilizers applied to plants should be adjusted depending on the composition of the soil, the predecessor, etc. The technology for cultivating spring wheat in Northern Kazakhstan in this respect, for example, may differ from the cultivation methods in the central regions of Russia, Ukraine, etc.

Fertilize the fields using such top dressings in the fall before plowing. In the spring, just before planting wheat, granulated superphosphate is usually added to the soil.

During growth andthe development of this crop, the land in the fields is additionally fertilized with nitrogen compounds. At the same time, they are usually introduced in three stages:

• during spring cultivation;
• early summer;
• midsummer.

The total rate of nitrogen fertilizers used during the growing season is 60 kg/ha in most cases. Experts do not recommend exceeding it. Otherwise, the wheat will begin to develop too intensively, which will lead to the depletion of moisture reserves in the soil. Applying too much nitrogenous fertilizer can also be harmful in the sense that because of this, plants become more susceptible to various kinds of diseases.

Seed preparation

Spring wheat varieties can be soft or hard. They differ not only in the properties of the grain, but also in the growing conditions in relation to the climate. Hard varieties are cultivated most often in the steppe zone, and soft ones - in more humid areas, for example, in the south of Siberia in the Kemerovo region. The technology of cultivation of spring wheat, however, is practically the same in both cases. In order to get a good harvest of spring wheat, its planting material, among other things, is supposed to be dressed. Perform this procedure on farms usually 15-30 days before sowing. This allows you to achieve the greatest effect from the use of pesticides. Also dressing a couple of weeks or a month in advance reduces the tension during the actual sowing.

Used for processing planting material of spring wheat can, for example, tools such as:

• Premis;
• Vitavax;
• Vial TT etc.

The seeds of this crop are treated, of course, in a mechanized way. For example, PS-10 machines can be used for this purpose. Etching is carried out with moistening of the planting material with water. In this case, the proportions used are 10 liters per 1 ton of seeds. In order for the pesticide to better adhere to the grains, the sodium s alt of carboxymethyl cellulose is additionally used. This agent forms a film and is well fixed on the seeds.

When they sow

Technologies for growing spring wheat in Belarus, for example, are not much different from how it is grown in Russia, Ukraine or Kazakhstan. The difference in this case is mainly only in the need to improve the soil of unequal composition and, of course, the timing of planting. By lowering the temperature, this culture is considered stable. But still, in warm regions of the planet, spring wheat is sown earlier, in cold regions - later.

You need to lay the seeds of this crop in soil containing enough moisture for their germination. Also, according to the technology, when growing spring wheat, the sowing time is chosen taking into account:

• multi-annual meteorological data;
• degrees of infestation of fields with weeds.

In the Middle lane, mid-season varieties of spring wheat are usually planted on May 15-25, mid-late - May 15-20.

Seed rate

Too dense planting of spring wheat, of course, should not be. Otherwise, culture will sharply reduce itsproductivity. There will be a shortage of grain in autumn even if wheat is planted too infrequently. In order for the plants to fully use the soil moisture in the future, the seeds should be distributed evenly over the field, among other things.

Sowing rates for different climatic zones may vary. The technology of cultivation of spring wheat in the Republic of Bashkortostan, for example, in this respect may differ from the cultivation methods in other regions of Russia, in Kazakhstan, Belarus, etc. For example, in the central zone of the Russian Federation, this crop is usually planted at the rate of 2-2.5 million seeds per 1 ha.

How exactly they are sown

There are several technologies for growing spring wheat in the fields. Sowing of this culture can be carried out, for example, according to different methods. But the most common ways to plant this crop are:

• tape;
• cross.

The second technology allows you to distribute the seeds over the soil as evenly as possible. However, it is still used less frequently than tape. The fact is that when using it, the field has to be sown twice. And this, of course, leads to additional costs.

For planting spring wheat in a belt way, for example, machines such as SZS-2.1L can be used. Such seeders are equipped, among other things, with dividers in the underblade space.

Of course, when sowing seeds of spring wheat, no matter what technology is used for this, the depth of seed placement should also be observed. Embed the planting material of this culture in a compacted and moist bed. The seeds of this crop are sown to a depth of usually 5-8 cm. This ensures rapid germination. When planting, among other things, you need to ensure that all seeds are planted to the same depth. In this case, the seedlings will subsequently rise together.

How to properly care for crops

Thanks to the introduction of spring wheat cultivation technologies developed by modern scientists, it is possible to obtain significant yields of this crop. But in any case, when growing such varieties in the fields, you have to fight:

• with weeds;
• with pests;
• with diseases.

Weed control

The greatest harm to wheat during cultivation is caused by root shoots and rhizomatous weeds. These can be, for example:

• field bindweed;
• field bodyag;
• field thistle.

Of annual plants, this crop is the most harmed by everyone:

• green bristles;
• oats;
• chicken millet.

It is imperative to fight all these weeds during the growing season when growing spring wheat. Otherwise, with not too many of them, crop losses can be up to 5-7%. With significant contamination, this figure often rises to 30%.

Weed control in spring wheat fieldscan be produced both mechanically and chemically. Farms in the warm season, among other things, draw up special maps, highlighting three degrees of weediness: weak, medium and strong.

Some types of weeds, such as wild oat, for example, are destroyed by harrowing in two tracks. Also, herbicides can, of course, be used to control unwanted plants in the fields.

Pest control

Insects of various kinds usually cause less damage to spring wheat than diseases. However, it is certainly necessary to fight pests on plantings of this crop. Most often, spring wheat is affected by insect species such as wireworms, false wireworms, bread beetles, swedish flies, turtle bugs, Hessian flies, and leech flies.

They fight pests on plantings using pesticides both by ground and air methods. You can also reduce the number of pests in the fields through spring and summer cultivation.

Fight disease

When cultivating spring wheat, agricultural enterprises, of course, have to deal with various kinds of its diseases. This culture can be damaged by fungi and microorganisms at all stages of its development. Scientists know more than 40 diseases of this culture. The most common ones are:

• dusty smut;
• hard bunt;
• root rot;
• brown rust;
• ergot.

In order not to loseharvest due to diseases, farms try to sow varieties of spring wheat resistant to them. Also, planting material is carefully selected to prevent infection of the fields. Actually, the fight against wheat diseases itself consists primarily in chemical treatment. Most often, various kinds of fungicides are used to treat the fields.

Harvesting

Thus, the technology of spring wheat cultivation was briefly presented above in the article. But growing a large crop of this crop, of course, is still not enough. It is also necessary to collect it without loss. There are only two modern methods of harvesting spring wheat:

• separate;
• direct combining.

The choice of a specific technology depends primarily on the condition of the crops. The first technique is usually used in fields littered with grass, the second - in all other cases. With any technology, harvesting on farms begins at the time when the grain reaches the phase of wax maturity.

New technologies for growing spring wheat in the world

Currently, scientists have developed many modern methods of intensive cultivation of wheat. In most cases, they are based on the use of new effective fertilizers and seeding technologies. Today, original innovative technologies for growing this crop are being developed. For example, experts from the University of Sydney came up with a way to accelerate the cultivation of wheat, allowing you to get up to three crops of thiscultures per year. True, their method is suitable mainly only for speeding up breeding work with wheat, including spring varieties.

Growing this crop, scientists proposed to grow indoors using energy-saving LED lamps for lighting. Specialists experimented for a long time with the parameters of such equipment and the microclimate in the greenhouses themselves. As a result, they developed an innovative technology for the cultivation of spring wheat, which made it possible to get a harvest in 8 weeks after planting.