Sunday, March 24, 2013

Will The Wheat Freeze?

It's snowing again here in southern Ohio and it's Holy Week.  One poster on Crop Talk asked if his wheat was safe or would it freeze?   It's a good discussion.  Here is a good answer:

Figure 1. Temperatures that cause freeze injury to winter wheat at different growth stages. Winter wheat rapidly loses hardiness during spring growth and is easily injured by late freezes.

Growth Stage-Injurious Temperature(two hours-Primary Symptoms-Yield Effect
Tillering 12 F (-11 C) Leaf chlorosis; burning of leaf tips; silage odor; blue cast to fields Slight to moderate

Jointing 24 F (-4 C) Death of growing point; leaf yellowing or burning; lesions, Moderate to severe
splitting, or bending of lower stem; odor

Boot 28 F (-2 C) Floret sterility; spike trapped in boot; damage to lower stem; leaf Moderate to severe
discoloration; odor

Heading 30 F (-1 C) Floret sterility; white awns or white heads; damage to lower Severe
stem; leaf discoloration

Flowering 32 F (0 C) Floret sterility; white awns or white heads; damage to lower Severe
stem; leaf discoloration

Milk 28 F (-2 C) White awns or white heads; damage to lower stems; leaf Moderate to severe
discoloration; shrunken; roughened, or discolored kernels

Dough 28 F (-2 C) Shriveled, discolored kernels; poor germination Slight to moderate

Wheat has been at the top of discussion this week for us few who grow it.  One farmer posted his tissue test results and asked readers what they would do with it?  The responses were all over the board.

I offered this:
"Good point, Eddie, I should have pointed that out. It has plenty for the growth stage it is in but needs to be topdressed. I was remembering the idea we over nitrate everything and short on everything else deal.


Tissue testing is discussed on my link here farmrn-
One program that worked well last year is:
200 lbs. per acre 17-9-7
Two weeks later
1.5 qts. per acre defender G4
1-2 gallons per acre CaNO3
With 18 gallons RO water per acre

Another program that was discussed here in the program is:
100 # ams
100# k
100# urea
With some 60#NH3 pre plant. three ton litter was spread the fall of 2011.

My standard program for SRWW was
100 lbs AMS
100 lbs dolomitic pel lime
100 MAP or DAP
100-200 potash
pound boron actual, pound zinc actual, pound manganese actual, pound copper sulfate actual, all prelant on typical worn out low testing soils around here which some might call good but low to me.

90-120 pounds N in spring, split shot preferred, more early to promote tillering, more later if needed to promote head growth.

So, will the wheat crop freeze in places this spring?  How far widespread will that be?  It looks like a cool, damp spring here in southern Ohio.

Ed



2 comments:

  1. You are reading my old posts? How did you ever come across my strip-tilling photos a year later?

    ReplyDelete
  2. I don't know, I just keep searching and digging, Budde.

    Ed

    ReplyDelete