Harvest dates. Current industry issues

Growing grain crops is the most important agricultural sector. These plants provide food for animals, industrial raw materials. Grain crops occupy one of the most important places in the food industry.

General classification

Grain crops are divided into legumes and grains. The latter mostly belong to the botanical cereal family. The main grain crops are:

• Millet.
• Sorghum.
• Corn.
• Barley.
• Millet.
• Rye.
• Wheat.
• Buckwheat and others.

The meaning of plants

The products of grain crops are used for the development of livestock and poultry farming. A large amount of nutrients contained in plants contributes to the active growth of livestock and increased milk yield. Such important products as pasta and bread products, flour, and cereals are also produced from grain. Plants act as raw materials for the production of starch, alcohol, molasses, and so on.

Chemical composition

Cereals are rich in carbohydrates and proteins. The latter are present in quantities from 10 to 16%. Carbohydrates in plants contain from 55 to 70%. Most grains contain from 1.5 to 4.5% fat. Corn and oats contain about 6%. The percentage of protein in grain crops is not constant. Its share depends on varietal and species characteristics, agrotechnical practices, climate, and weather. Thus, placing grain crops in areas with a continental climate, in areas where there is a lot of light and heat, makes it possible to obtain plants with more protein than in areas with mild conditions and rainy weather. In addition, an increase in the content of this compound is observed in soils rich in phosphorus and nitrogen. Cereals are rich in B vitamins, PP. Sprouted cereals contain C, A and D.

Importance of Proteins

Of particular value are the compounds that form gluten. The baking properties of the resulting flour (volume of products, porosity, elasticity of the dough) will depend on its quality and quantity. Wheat grain can contain from 16 to 40% raw gluten. Cereal protein contains amino acids. Among them there are also irreplaceable ones - those that are not synthesized in the body of humans and animals. These include, for example, tryptophan, methionine, lysine and others. These amino acids must be supplied to the body through food. In this regard, their increased content in cereals has a beneficial effect on the condition of animals and humans.

Nutritional value

It is measured in feed units. For 1 unit The nutritional value of a kilogram of dry oats is generally accepted. Thus, 1 kg of wheat and rye has an indicator of 1.18, barley - 1.27, corn - 1.34. The nutritional value of a kilogram of straw can range from 0.2 (wheat, rye) to 0.3-0.35 (barley, oats) feed unit.

Current industry issues

Every year, programs are developed to increase the yield of grain crops. However, this is not the only task of the agro-industrial complex today. Along with the increase in raw material volumes, special attention is paid to its quality. The emphasis, first of all, is on the production of grain crops, which are most in demand in the food and agricultural industries. These include strong and durum wheat, the most important fodder and cereal varieties. Many cereal grains, such as oats, barley, rye and wheat, have winter and spring forms. They differ from each other in the way they are grown. The development of winter crops is related to wintering conditions. Grain crops are sown in the fall, and harvested in next year. Spring forms can withstand exposure to low temperatures only for a short period. In this case, grain crops are planted in the spring and harvested in the same year.

Structure: root system

All grains have approximately the same structure. The root system consists of many adventitious branches, which are collected in a lobe (bundle). There are embryonic (primary) roots and secondary ones. The latter are formed from stem nodes located underground. Most of the roots develop in the arable (top) layer of the soil. Only a few branches penetrate deep into the soil: in corn, rice, oats and barley - 100-150 cm, in rye and wheat - 180-200 cm, in sorghum - 200-250 cm. During germination, the grain first forms primary roots. Secondary branches subsequently begin to develop from the underground nodes of the stem. With enough water, they begin to grow quite quickly. Primary roots do not die off. They perform main role in the delivery of moisture and nutrients to ground parts. In sorghum and corn, aerial (supporting) roots are formed from above-ground nodes closest to the surface.

Stem

It is called straw. Cereal crops, as a rule, have a hollow stem with 5-6 nodes dividing it into internodes. The straw can reach a height of 50 to 200 cm - this depends on the biological characteristics of the variety and its growing conditions. Corn and sorghum have stems 3-4 or more meters high. However high altitude is not always considered an advantage of the variety. This is due to the fact that with a long stem, resistance to lodging decreases.

The number of internodes coincides with the number of leaves. The lowest one is touched first, then all the subsequent ones. The stem develops through all internodes. The upper one becomes longer than the lower one towards the end of development. Durum wheat and corn have a stalk filled with spongy tissue. The lower part is immersed in the soil along with the nodes. From them roots and secondary stems are formed. This part is called the tillering node. If it is damaged, the plant dies.

Leaves and inflorescences

Cereals can have linear (rice, oats, rye, wheat), medium (barley) or broad (millet, sorghum, corn) leaves. They are also differentiated depending on location. Leaves can be stem, basal (rosette) and embryonic. All of them consist of a vagina, which covers the stem, and a plate. In the area where the vagina passes into the plate, there is a tongue - a membranous formation. In triticale, barley, rye, and wheat, the inflorescence is a complex spike. Rice, sorghum, millet and oats have a panicle. On one corn plant, a panicle is formed, in which there are male flowers (sultanas), and an ear, where the female flowers are located. A rod stands out in the ear. Small spikelets alternately form on its ledges on both sides. The panicle contains branches of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd order. There are also spikelets at their ends. The flowers are small in size. As a rule, they are greenish. Flowers have two scales: internal and external (in spinous forms it turns into an awn). There is a pestle inside between them. It consists of an ovary, which contains three stamens and two feathery stigmas. Cereals have bisexual flowers. Their number in a spikelet varies.

Fetus

It is a single-seeded grain called grain. Sorghum, rice, barley, oats and millet have scaled fruits. The top of the wheat grain is covered with a seed coat. Beneath it is the endosperm - mealy tissue. It provides nutrition to the plant during the germination process. The endosperm contains about 22% protein and 80% carbohydrates from total mass grains Under the shell, in the lower left corner, there is an embryonic root and a bud.

Cereal seeds: sustainability

Dry fruits do not lose their viability even after being in liquid hydrogen. Thus, they can withstand cooling down to -250 degrees. At the same time, the germinating grain cannot tolerate temperatures of -3...-5 degrees. The fruits are highly resistant to drought. They retain their viability even in cases where they lose almost all moisture. During active growth, however, crops become very sensitive to dehydration. They can die even with minor moisture loss.

Phases of development

During the growing season, plants go through several stages. The following development phases are distinguished:

• Seed germination.
• Formation of seedlings.
• Tillering.
• Tube formation.
• Sweeping (earing).
• Bloom.
• Formation and filling of grains.
• Maturation.

Germination requires sufficient air, moisture and heat. This process begins after the grain swells. With sufficient heat supply, the enzyme system starts in it. As a result of its activity, starch, fats and proteins are transformed into water-soluble, simpler organic compounds. They are nutrients for the embryo. When they arrive, the primary roots begin to grow, and then the stem. When the first unfolded leaf appears above the ground, the seedling formation phase begins. They appear on 7-10 days.

Wheat

It acts as one of the main grain crops. According to botanical characteristics, soft and durum wheat are distinguished. Depending on the time of sowing, the crop is divided into winter and spring. Soft wheat is distinguished by its fruit having a mealy, semi-vitreous or glassy consistency. The grain has a round or oval shape, slightly expanded towards the germ, with a deep groove and a pronounced beard. The fruit may be yellow, red or white. Soft wheat is used in baking and confectionery production. Depending on the technological properties, raw materials are divided into three categories:

Durum wheat has significant differences from soft wheat. Its fruits are elongated, with a thickening on the embryonic back. The ribbed grain is translucent and glassy when cut. The beard of the fetus is poorly developed, the groove entering shallowly inside is open. The color of the grain can vary from light to dark amber. It contains more sugar, squirrel and mineral compounds than in soft wheat fruits. Durum varieties are used in the production of semolina and pasta. They are also added to wheat, which has poor baking properties. In addition, it is used to produce semolina flour.

Rye

It is a winter-hardy plant. Rye grains are longer than wheat. The color of the fruit can be brown, purple, gray-green, yellow. Gray-green grains are larger than others. It contains more protein. Such grains are distinguished by high baking properties. Rye contains less endosperm than wheat. This, in turn, causes a large number of membranes that contain the aleurone layer. On average, rye contains about 9-13% proteins. Their peculiarity is that they cannot form gluten. In this regard, rye is used primarily to produce flour. A small amount of it is used for the production of alcohol and malt.

Triticale

It is a hybrid of rye and wheat. Triticale is a cereal grain characterized by winter hardiness. Its grains are larger than rye and wheat. Gluten is washed from triticale flour. In this regard, its baking properties are close to those of wheat. Depending on the variety, the color of triticale bread can be dark, gray or white.

Millet

This cereal crop is drought resistant. Millet is a heat-loving plant. It is grown as a spring crop. The fruit of the plant is covered with floral films. They are quite easily separated from the kernels. Millet grain can be oval-elongated or spherical, and the endosperm can be mealy or glassy.

Barley

This spring crop has a short ripening period (the growing season lasts 70 days). Barley can be two-row or six-row. Culture grows everywhere. Cereals (barley and pearl barley) are produced from barley. A small amount is used to produce malt and flour. Barley is considered the main brewing raw material. The cereal is also used as livestock feed.

Rice

This grain crop loves warmth and moisture. The shape of the fruit can be oblong (wide and narrow) or round. The endosperm is mealy, semi-vitreous and vitreous. The latter is considered the most valuable. This is due to the fact that during the collapse process ( technological process, during which the grain is separated from the shell), glassy rice is less susceptible to crushing and produces a larger volume of grain.

Oats

This is a rather demanding culture. Oats love moisture and warmth. The plant is grown everywhere as a spring crop. The maturation process takes place quite quickly. The grain is yellow or White color. In addition to proteins and starch, oats contain a fairly large percentage of fat - about 4-6. The crop is used for fattening livestock and for producing cereals.

Wheat is one of the main grain crops in Russia. The raw materials obtained from it are used for baking bakery products, production of cereals, pasta, alcohol. Technologically, growing wheat is a rather complex procedure. However, careful compliance with all cultivation conditions allows one to obtain very good harvests, including in Russia.

Main growing regions in the Russian Federation

One of the advantages of wheat is its relative undemandingness to weather factors. Therefore, this agricultural crop is cultivated in many regions of our country. The undisputed leaders in this regard are wheat growing areas such as Stavropol and Krasnodar region. They account for total about 22% of all threshing in the country.

In second place in terms of wheat harvest are Volgograd, Saratov, Omsk, Kursk, Voronezh region and Altai. The share of each of these regions is about 3-4%. In Siberia and the Urals, about 2-3% of grain is harvested. Growing wheat is also one of the specializations of farmers in the Belgorod, Penza regions and some other regions.

In what other countries are they cultivating

This popular crop is grown in many countries around the world. China produces the most wheat - 126.21 million tons of grain per year. Russia is in third place after India in the list of countries growing this crop. Our country produces about 60 million tons of grain annually. India grows 95 million tons per year. Following Russia on the list is the United States. Farmers in this country annually harvest 55.4 million tons. Ukraine is approximately in tenth place in the list of wheat-producing countries. This state threshes about 24.11 million tons per year.

Conditions for growing wheat

The agricultural crop wheat is quite unpretentious. However, she still prefers a continental climate, which is quite warm. In terms of growing conditions, steppes are best suited for wheat. After all, the areas allocated for this crop to obtain good yields are usually very large. What specific optimal environmental conditions wheat needs can be seen in the table below.

It is these agroclimatic conditions that are favorable for growing wheat. This crop does not tolerate too high temperatures quite well. Therefore, in hot continental climate it is impossible to obtain large yields. At 38-40 C, stomata begin to die off in most varieties.

Light mode

Yields are, of course, influenced not only by agroclimatic conditions for growing wheat, such as soil moisture and air temperature. Very important factor in this regard is the duration daylight hours. Unfortunately, a large wheat harvest can only be obtained with a fairly significant amount of wheat. sunny days during the season. Lack of light contributes to the formation of a large number of internodes in this crop. At the same time, the tillering leaf of wheat grows too close to the soil surface. All these factors negatively affect the endurance of plants, their resistance to pests, diseases and low temperatures.

What soil is best suited?

The main conditions for successfully growing wheat are a sufficiently high air temperature and humidity in summer period. In terms of climate, this culture is therefore not too demanding. However, areas for its planting have to be chosen very carefully. In terms of soil composition, this crop, in comparison with many other grains, is relatively capricious. It is believed that wheat feels best on loamy lands (soddy-podzolic) and cohesive sandy loam. Good yields of this crop can also be obtained on peat-bog lowland soils.

The optimal soil indicators for wheat are:

pH - minimum 5.8;

K2O and P2O5 - minimum 150 mg/kg soil.

The best predecessors

Repeated sowing of wheat in the fields leads, unfortunately, to a significant decrease in yield due to soil depletion and disease. Therefore, when growing this crop, it is imperative to follow the rules of crop rotation. It is believed that the best predecessors for wheat are legumes and potatoes. You can also plant it after cruciferous vegetables or herbs.

Types of wheat

The fields of Russia grow the most different types this culture. Wheat can be classified into varieties:

hard and soft;

simple and dwarf.

Durum grains produce flour, which is used mainly for making noodles and pasta. This type of wheat is distinguished by its dense ear structure and the presence of long awns. The straw cavity in varieties of this group is filled with connective tissue. The hard grain itself has an elongated shape.

Soft wheat is most often grown in the fields of our country and other countries. It is precisely these varieties of grain that are used to bake bread. Also, this type of flour is excellent for making confectionery products. Soft wheat varieties are characterized by a rather loose ear. She has no spines. The straw of this variety is hollow and the grain is round in shape.

Dwarf varieties were bred quite recently and are still grown by farmers quite rarely. It is believed that the flour obtained from such grains is very suitable for baking.

Spring and winter wheat

Wheat cultivation in our country can be done using two main technologies. Winter varieties are planted in the fall. They are harvested next summer. Spring wheat is sown in the spring. Its ears ripen by autumn.

Varieties

Conditions for growing wheat in Russia are in most cases favorable. This crop, as already mentioned, is cultivated in many regions of our country. A huge number of zoned varieties are also used. The most popular and productive ones include the following spring crops:

"Dawn". This mid-season wheat is the standard in the State Variety Test.

"Munk." This is a German mid-season high variety, resistant to lodging.

"Tom." A new variety resistant to powdery mildew.

"Coke." Disease and lodging resistant variety.

And winter crops:

"Prestige";

"Moskovskaya-39";

• "Mironovskaya", etc.

Sowing spring wheat

Varieties of this variety are grown mainly in the Urals, Trans-Volga region and Siberia. The technology of soil cultivation for such wheat depends on the composition of the latter, as well as on its predecessors. Typically this procedure includes:

in fields with stubble predecessors - peeling stubble with disk implements;

after tilled predecessors - cultivation to the depth of the arable layer.

Pre-sowing preparation on peat bogs includes disking, leveling the soil and rolling.

Seed preparation

Growing spring wheat will be successful, of course, only if high-quality planting material is used. Grain for sowing fields in the spring is allowed to use only III reproductions with a purity of 98% and a germination rate of 87%. The seeds are pre-treated using special preparations. This makes it possible to reduce the incidence of crop disease during the growing process. Sometimes spring wheat seeds are also treated with inlay. In this case, the composition of the preparation used for processing includes adhesives and growth-regulating compounds. Humic agents can also be used when preparing seeds.

How to sow

Spring wheat is an early planting crop. It is sown at a soil temperature of 2°C. On peat soils, such varieties are planted after the top layer has thawed by 10-12 cm. The sowing rate of spring wheat seeds is approximately 5-5.5 million on mineral soils and 3.5-4 million on peat soils.

The grains of this crop are planted to a depth of 5-6 cm on light soils and 3-4 cm on heavy soils. Spring wheat is sown continuously using the row spacing of 7.5, 12.5 or 15.0 cm.

Care

The technology for growing spring wheat mainly includes the following types of work:

harrowing to control weeds (5-7 days after sowing);

use of herbicides to control weeds;

when pests appear, treat with insecticides;

in case of infection with bacterial diseases, use fungicides.

How to fertilize spring varieties

The use of fertilizers is one of the most important conditions for such a procedure as growing wheat in Russia. Regions rich in nutrients black soils are a rarity for our country.

Spring varieties begin to be fed during the tillering period. On early stages development, such wheat is insensitive to mineral fertilizers. When going into the tube, the use of nitrogen fertilizing gives good results. Also during this period, wheat is in dire need of phosphorus fertilizers. During heading of spring varieties, potash fertilizers are usually used. They are also used when filling grains.

When calculating the required amount of fertilizer, it should be taken into account that one centner of spring wheat absorbs 1.2 kg of phosphorus, 4 kg of nitrogen, 2 kg of potassium from the ground per season.

Spring wheat harvest

Direct combining of such varieties is carried out when grain moisture reaches 15-20%. It is impossible to be late in harvesting spring wheat. If such varieties are left to rest for even 10-12 days, the quality of the grain deteriorates significantly. In this case, the yield itself decreases.

Winter wheat: preparation for sowing

Thus, we found out how spring varieties are cultivated. Next, let's look at the technology for growing winter wheat. Varieties of this variety are most often cultivated in the Caucasus, in the Central Black Earth region and in the Volga region. Winter wheat requires even more careful soil preparation than spring wheat. In this case, when choosing a technology, factors such as the state of the earth and predecessors are also taken into account. After unpaired crops, combined units are usually used in winter wheat fields. Actually, the treatment itself is most often carried out using the moldless method to a depth of 8-12 cm. It is believed that the best soil indicators for such varieties are the following:

sufficiently dense subsowing layer;

the size of soil particles in the subsowing layer is 2-3 mm;

the height of the ridges after the cultivator is less than 2 cm.

When cultivating fields for winter wheat, cultivators are supplemented with harrows and rollers. This is necessary in order to ensure good contact of the seeds with the soil.

Processing of planting material

The conditions most favorable for growing winter wheat are wet autumn, snowy winter, warm spring. However, good yields of such varieties can be obtained only with the same careful preparation of seeds as grains of spring varieties. Winter planting material is usually processed in two stages by:

etching;

inlaying.

When dressing, it is important not to interfere with seed germination.

Sowing winter wheat

This procedure in the fields can be carried out using three technologies:

regular lowercase (row spacing - 15 cm);

narrow row method (7.5 cm);

cross method (15 cm).

As with spring wheat, the simple line method is most often used for winter wheat. Seeds of varieties of this variety are planted on light soils to a depth of 6-8 cm, on heavy soils - 1-2 cm, on peat soils - 3-4 cm.

The grain rate in this case depends on the timing of planting. When sowing early, the consumption should be 400-500 pieces per 1 m2. If landing is in late dates, this rate increases by 10-15%.

Growing winter wheat: basic care

When cultivating varieties of this variety, like spring varieties, herbicides are often used to control weeds. Pests are destroyed with insecticides, and bacterial diseases are treated, if necessary, with fungicides. In addition, winter wheat is considered to respond very well to fertilizers. This crop is fed mainly mineral compounds. Organic fertilizers can only be used if the percentage of humus in the soil does not exceed 2%.

The rates of mineral fertilizing are calculated based on the composition of the soil in the field. The best fertilizers for winter wheat, nitrogen and phosphorus are considered. Almost the entire amount of the latter is applied before sowing. Most often, fields for winter wheat are fertilized with granular superphosphate. The same composition is applied randomly during autumn feeding or by the root method. in early spring(in small quantities).

Growing winter wheat in Russia involves the use of nitrogen fertilizers:

during pre-sowing cultivation (30 kg/ha);

in the tillering phase to increase the density of plants and the height of their stems;

at the beginning of booting (60-70 kg/ha);

during heading and flowering.

If winter wheat is grown on soil that is poor in composition, it is recommended to apply nitrogen fertilizers in ammonium form. In this case, the fertilizer will be washed out less. In steppe regions, foliar feeding of winter wheat with a urea solution is often used in the fields.

How to water

Improper control of soil moisture can result in significant yield reductions for these varieties. Growing winter wheat b will be successful only if its root system actively develops. The soil moisture indicator is especially important in the early stages of crop development. In autumn due to rain upper layer The soil in the fields is quite damp. Newly planted plants extract nutrients from it. The same applies to the period of snow melting. Melt water In the spring they support wheat very well.

Subsequently, with an increase in air temperature, the soil, however, begins to gradually dry out. In accordance with this, the root system of plants lengthens and expands. Wheat independently extracts moisture from deeper and deeper layers of soil. In some cases, the root system of this crop can reach a length of almost a meter. However, during dry weather, moisture can go even deeper into the soil. And even at a distance of 1 m from the surface, by mid-June it is often not enough. Dry wheat growing areas are therefore risky farming areas. It is imperative to irrigate grain fields in such regions.

There are two periods of development of this agricultural crop, during which watering is simply necessary. First of all, this is the autumn growing season. The soil in the fields at this time of year is mostly damp. However, it often happens that the percentage of its moisture content is still not enough for the normal development of plants. In addition, rains in mid-October do not always happen. Winter varieties are usually watered only once in the fall, but abundantly.

The second time winter wheat crops are moistened artificially in the spring. However, this procedure is carried out only if in the fall the soil is saturated with water less than two meters deep.

In summer, winter wheat is watered only during drought. This is usually done during the heading period and at the beginning of grain ripening.

Spring wheat is also watered in the same way in summer. The roots of varieties of this variety must also reach moist layers of soil. Otherwise, it will not be possible to obtain a good harvest from the spring crop. If there is insufficient watering, it will not be possible to increase grain yield even if a large amount of fertilizer is used.

Harvest dates

Combining winter varieties begins in the phase of their full maturity. Different regions Wheat growing areas have different climatic conditions. Therefore, there is suffering in different areas in different terms. In any case, combining should be done only when the grain moisture content reaches 14-17%.

Harvesting winter wheat can be done using different methods. Direct combining is most often used. If the crops are too clogged with weeds, a separate harvesting method is used. In this case, grain losses are usually quite large. Therefore, it is so important to treat fields with herbicides during the growth and ripening of winter wheat. A separate harvesting method is also used for tall and very dense varieties.

Storage

Growing wheat is a technologically quite complex matter. But getting a good harvest of this crop is not enough. It is also important to preserve it without loss.

After combining, the grain is most often sent to elevators. The safety of the harvested crop in such specially equipped warehouses is influenced by the following factors:

humidity and ambient temperature;

the intensity of biochemical processes occurring in the grain layers;

the presence or absence of harmful microorganisms and insects.

Before storing, the grain must be thoroughly dried. Optimal temperature wheat storage temperature is 10-12 C. Compliance with these factors helps prevent grain spoilage and weight loss.

Wheat requires a certain pre-sowing preparation of the soil, the organization of spring fertilizers, proper enrichment of the soil, and most importantly, learning the rules for combating diseases and pests. In order for farmers to have an impressive harvest, the listed rules should not be neglected.

Wheat is the most common cereal crop. And it’s not for nothing that it is cultivated all over the world. Last year in 2015, global wheat production was 723.8 million tons, making it second only to corn at 1.016 million tons. Wheat is grown over vast areas, giving it pride of place among other crops, both in the commercial and food spheres. The world trade volume of wheat is much higher than that of other grain crops because wheat is an integral part of countries' food supply. It is considered one of the main sources of vegetable protein in the human food chain. The protein content in wheat is much higher than in other crops such as rice, corn and others. So, when cultivating this crop, it is not always possible to obtain maximum yields, since wheat is quite demanding on soil and climatic conditions. This article will outline the main aspects of growing wheat.

Place of wheat in crop rotation

Wheat is quite capricious about the crops cultivated in front of it. This is due to the weak root system of the wheat crop, as well as to the phytosanitary condition of the soil. Moreover, the harvest will not be achieved if the soil is poorly prepared. Wheat will repay with high yield if its predecessors are perennial and annual grasses, green manure, corn, buckwheat, rapeseed, and legumes. These plants help the soil, saturate it with nitrogen, fight weeds, promote the accumulation of easily digestible nutrients in the soil, and also reduce the spread of putrefactive diseases, with proper harvesting of crops.

Wheat will feel quite good after cultivating oats on plowed land, since this crop is not subject to infection by root rot, but, on the contrary, promotes the accumulation of nutrients in the soil, since it leaves behind a sufficient amount of organic matter, in comparison with other agricultural crops. By observing crop rotation and following agrotechnological rules for cultivating wheat, you can achieve optimal yield results. The standard terms for sowing wheat in crop rotation are two-year breaks; re-sowing can be done only after two years, when the soil is cleared of pathogens to which the crop is susceptible. It is not recommended to sow wheat after barley, since the similarity of predispositions to diseases can cause outbreaks of diseases such as root rot.

Preparing the soil for sowing should be aimed at ensuring aeration of the root system, preserving moisture, exterminating weeds, and maximizing the incorporation of plant residues from the previous crop. Pre-sowing preparation should ensure an optimally leveled surface of the soil and seed bed for further seeding. Pre-sowing treatment directly depends on weather conditions, the equipment you have, the condition of the arable land and the previous crop. Non-moldboard tillage, before sowing wheat, is used after non-fallow crops, at a depth of 10-12 centimeters, using combined row-crop units.

The classic cultivation of arable land is harrowing and cultivating, using units with rollers or harrows. Before sowing, the field must have a compacted soil structure, a pre-sowing layer; the presence of large clods. The predominance of soil particles in the ground should not exceed more than 3 millimeters. To ensure the success of wheat seedlings, it is necessary to establish optimal contact between the seed and the soil. It is important to organize fall tillage during plowing, after harvesting the previous crop; this procedure will increase the soil’s resistance to moisture accumulation and reduce the number of weeds and harmful insects. If perennial grasses were cultivated in the plowed land, the soil is disc-hoeed at intervals of ten days, plowshare hulling is also carried out, and sometimes the regrown crop is pruned with a flat cutter to a depth of 12 centimeters.

After the agrotechnical procedures have been carried out, two weeks later plowing is carried out with a plow, with cultural dumps and skimmers to a depth of about twenty centimeters, sealing the layer at the bottom of the furrow so that weeds cannot germinate. Treatment with two peelings, disk and then plowshare, is carried out after cultivating legumes, stubble plants, as well as in fields clogged with weeds. As perennial weeds grow, ploughshare plowing or early plowing to 22 centimeters with harrowing, or several cultivations in the fall, is carried out to combat weed seedlings and carrion.

Ridged plowland is preferable for early spring sowing of wheat; this also applies to heavy soils. After cultivating crops such as sunflower and corn, soil cultivation is carried out by cross-disking and plowing with plows with skimmers to a depth of 20 centimeters. Without preliminary hulling, the soil is plowed after cultivating crops such as beets and potatoes, and on the slopes, treatment is carried out aimed at eliminating soil erosion, reducing the washout of the fertile layer by floods and rains.

Sowing

Wheat sowing may vary depending on various factors, climatic and biological characteristics. The optimal time for sowing winter wheat will be the second ten days of September. And for spring crops, the first ten days of spring. On poor soils and after non-fallow crops, sowing is carried out at the optimal time in early September, and after fallow crops and on rich soils, sowing should take place at a time close to winter, so that the wheat is less susceptible to attack by grain flies, and also so that the crop does not overgrow.

Winter wheat must germinate before wintering and gain two or three sprouts; usually the growing season of the plant is about two months before the start of winter. The approximate seed sowing rate will vary about 500 germinated seeds per square meter plowing The norm, with a favorable outcome during the harvest period, can reach 650 productive plants per square meter. To ensure late sowings have the optimal number of fruiting stems, the seeding rate is increased by 15 percent. Wheat seeds are planted to a depth of about three centimeters, with the obligatory compaction of the sown area with rollers. The seeding depth of wheat depends on the sowing time; if sowing is late, then the seeding depth should accordingly be less. Wheat is sown using the row method with row spacing of 15 centimeters.

Fertilizer application

Like all agricultural crops, wheat responds well to fertilization. Wheat grows well in soils enriched with nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus. The approximate consumption of a wheat harvest of 30 centners is about 90 kilograms of nitrogen, 60 kilograms of potassium, 25 kilograms of phosphorus. In this case, the dynamics of nutrient consumption depends on the growing season of the plant. During the initial growth period, wheat consumes nitrogen, but in small quantities. The situation changes when the plant begins to gain ears and form additional stems, then the wheat sharply increases its nitrogen consumption.

But during the period of grain formation, the need for this microelement is reduced to a minimum. Since nitrogen absorption in large quantities will provoke a decrease in grain ripening rates. Phosphorus fertilizer is important during the period of wheat tillering and heading. Phosphorus fertilizer plays an important role in the formation and development of the plant’s root system, as well as ears. Potassium, in turn, has a direct effect on wheat; if the wheat lacks potassium, then you will not get a good harvest, since heading directly depends on the percentage of potassium in the soil. Potassium increases wheat's resistance to certain diseases, affects grain size, accelerates the delivery of carbohydrates from the stems to the grain, as a result of which the grain fills and becomes larger.

It is necessary to prepare saturated, fertilized lands for sowing spring wheat, because if the root system of the plant reaches optimal development, then in the future it will be able to use moisture more efficiently and better withstand drought. On the soils of the central zone and on podzolic lands, the application of organic and mineral fertilizers in a complex manner has a beneficial effect. Combined application of manure and peat compost along with organic matter will double your wheat yield. The application of fertilizers must be determined by its timing, which will depend on the growing season of the plant. During sowing, a smaller portion of mineral fertilizers is applied. And before sowing, the bulk of organic and mineral fertilizers are applied. Fertilizing is carried out during the wheat growing season using the irrigation method.

The main fertilizers for wheat are peat, manure, green manure, and mineral fertilizers are phosphorus and potassium. Wheat produces good yields when the soil is comprehensively fertilized before sowing. Basic fertilizer is often applied along with the seeds into the rows when sowing. This method of fertilization will fully provide wheat seeds with comprehensive nutrition for the entire period of crop growth, thereby increasing the chances of obtaining a good harvest. Increasingly, agricultural technicians are using new bacterial fertilizers, the most common of which are azotobacterin and phosphorobacterin. This class fertilizers can increase the yield by about 1.5 centners per hectare.

Ways to increase grain yields

Global demand and consumption of crops for food, feed and fuel is growing at a rapid pace. This requirement for plant materials has been expanding over the years. However, in Lately, rising meat consumption in emerging economies coupled with the accelerating use of grains for biofuel production in developed countries has led to new pressures on global grain supplies.

In order to satisfy the growing worldwide demand for grain, there are currently two options:

1. The area under wheat production must be increased.
2. Cereal productivity can be increased on existing farmland.

These two options are not mutually exclusive and both would be used to produce the additional 200 million tonnes per year of corn and wheat estimated to be needed by the global market in 2017. Both options will introduce changes to the environment during the agricultural production of corn crops.

Of the two options, increasing productivity on existing agricultural land is preferable because it will avoid the greenhouse gas emissions and large-scale destruction of existing ecosystems associated with bringing new land into production. In some countries, plant breeders, agronomists, and farmers have a documented history of increasing yields . In Russia, the increase in wheat yields over the past two years is due to the development and widespread use of new agricultural technologies, such as hybrid corn, synthetic fertilizers and improved agricultural machinery.

Introduction of biotechnologies and development new technique breeding using DNA markers to further increase yields is yielding positive results. Outside of Russia, similar farming methods have been adopted in some agricultural countries, but today, in many large grain-producing countries, yields still lag behind average global indicators. Continuing to develop new agrotechnical technologies for cultivating grains and introducing them at the global level, it will fully meet the global demand for feed, fuel and food. Undoubtedly, with this approach, the criteria for increasing productivity can be met without the participation of large land plots for new production.

Increasing the productivity of existing agricultural land will in turn have environmental consequences, How negative character less burdensome, and in some cases may be beneficial, depending on how the land was previously used. Increased use of nitrogen fertilizers, and the use of methods to increase grain production, can increase nitrous oxide emissions, reduce water quality, and increase the size hypoxic zones.

Another method of increasing yields on existing agricultural land is based on transgenic extermination of harmful insects and rodents, as well as plowing. Tilling can reduce erosion, conserve soil moisture, and increase soil sedimentation of organic matter, and transgenic insect control can reduce the wide range of insecticide applications.

Factors that reduce yield

While breeders, agronomists, and farmers work to increase yields, there are a number of factors that can reduce yields. Over the next two decades, the effects of climate change in central Russia are projected to increase nighttime air temperatures, the number and severity of adverse weather phenomena, and increase the incidence of insect pests and diseases. As a result, these factors can affect the yield of grain crops.

Rapid adaptation of crops to changing climate conditions can help mitigate these effects. Rapid adaptation of crops is achieved through breeding programs that continuously develop and introduce hybrids and varieties adapted to local conditions.

Nitrogen is another factor that can limit yield. Nitrogen, or rather its absence in the soil, can be a significant reason for the negative impact on the crop. Climatic factors, can affect the crop and completely destroy it. Finally, a sharp downturn in the global economy could limit demand for meat and fuel, which would indirectly reduce economic incentives to increase wheat yields.

Wheat diseases and pests

Like all cultivated agricultural plants, wheat is susceptible to many diseases, and there are also a lot of pests and insects that will happily feast on fresh grains. Wheat diseases are common, but depend mainly on cultivation zones and climatic boundaries. Wheat plants are susceptible to diseases at any phase of the growing season. Diseases, in addition to reducing yields, also have a detrimental effect on the quality of grains. Some of the most common diseases are loose smut, bunt, ergot, rust, and root rot.

If wheat becomes infected with loose smut, the disease will reach its climax on all parts of the ear, turning black and then turning into a dusty gray mass. The method of combating loose smut is the treatment of seed raw materials.

Smut is also an unpleasant disease that can ruin the harvest. It is caused by a fungus and mainly affects spikelets. Infecting the grains in the ear, fungal spores are formed with an unpleasant putrefactive odor. To combat this scourge, it is also necessary to process the planting material.

Root rot is another disease that can cause irreparable damage to the wheat crop. The causative agent of this disease is a fungus, different types. The disease proceeds quite quickly, rotting the root system of the plant and completely destroying it. Helminthosporiosis or root rot of wheat develops at the root collar, causing it to rot and die.

Stem rust, or brown rust, is caused by a fungal disease that mainly affects the stems of the plant and the surface of the leaves of wheat. It looks like brown spots or a yellow coating, voids form on the stem or leaves; if the ear is affected, the grain in it will stop developing. Methods to combat this disease include a set of measures, namely, compliance with crop rotation, pre-sowing treatment of the soil with pesticides, sowing wheat within the allotted time, as well as timely fertilization of the soil with potash and phosphorus fertilizers.

A disease such as ergot is considered no less dangerous. It is mainly the ears that suffer from it; eggplant-colored sclerotia are formed in them, which over time destroy the ear, along with the grains. Methods for controlling wheat diseases include mainly chemical treatment pre-sowing material and soil before sowing. However, today, the country’s agricultural engineers are paying more and more attention to solving the issue of the potential of agroecosystems themselves and its regulation, because the introduction of pesticides and herbicides into the soil leaves its mark on the ecosystem. Therefore, environmentally friendly ways to combat diseases will be compliance with crop rotation and optimal sowing dates, as well as the use of green manure and environmentally friendly application. safe means to combat pathogens, in addition, maintaining the required moisture content of wheat minimizes damage to the plant by grain flies and wheat thrips.

Wheat is widely cultivated in many countries around the world as a cash crop because it produces a good yield per unit area, grows well in temperate climates and even with a moderately short growing season, produces a versatile, high-quality flour that is widely used in baking bread and baked goods. . Therefore, the popularity of wheat flour products creates a large demand for the grain, even in countries with significant food surpluses.

Having decided to sow a plot of land with rye, you were not mistaken. This is a win-win option, if only because in agronomy the crop is widely used as a green fertilizer and soil sanitation. The harvested crop can also be used - there are many culinary and medicinal recipes in which grains, bran and even rye stalks are the main ingredients. We managed to collect practical advice the best experts industry on how to organize the preparation, planting and cultivation of this cereal.

Did you know? Rye fields are found in almost the entire Northern Hemisphere of the world. The largest producers are Germany, Poland, Russia, and China. In our country, about 640 tons are collected annually.

Spring and winter rye: description

First, let’s define what kind of rye there is, what are its features and differences.

For agricultural purposes, perennial rye obtained through the process of crossing wild and cultivated species is sown for large-scale fodder procurement. Rarely seen. In the northern regions of Ukraine, the varieties "Tatyanka" and "Vesnyanka" are popular, and in the southern regions - "Odesskaya perennial".

To meet food needs and as green manure, rye is used, which grows for one year. In most cases, this group is represented by diploid varieties (Amanda, Borba, Boguslavka), which are characterized by resistance to frost and rot. They are also unpretentious to growing conditions. Long-term research and experiments by breeders culminated in the appearance of tetraploid rye, for example, "Pukhovchanka", the typical characteristics of which are tolerance to lodging of stems and large grains.

Annual rye varieties have a powerful root system. The fibrous roots go deep by 1.5 - 2 meters and do not depend on watering. In addition, they have a high ability to absorb nutrients. When planting seeds deeply, bush nodes are laid at two levels: upper and lower. The primacy remains with the one in the upper layer of soil. Under favorable conditions, more than 50 shoots can grow from one grain. Productivity ranges from 20 to 40 c/ha.

Annual and perennial herbaceous representatives of the grass family are divided into two genera: spring and winter. Regardless of the classification, rye is a persistent aggressive plant and, according to the description of its characteristics, prevails over wheat. Firstly, it is less demanding on growing conditions, secondly, only it has phytosanitary properties, and thirdly, the plant resists diseases and pests well.

Important! If there is little potassium in the soil, rye leaves will develop poorly, the intensity of bushiness and resistance to lodging will decrease. With a lack of phosphorus and potassium, the plant becomes sensitive to low temperatures.

In practice, winter varieties (Niva, Khakada, Drevlyanskaya) are more often sown. They produce greater yields even on poor sandy soils, tolerate high soil acidity, spring droughts, and produce grain during mild, snowy winters. Without cover they can survive 25-degree frosts. Winter rye is distinguished by its biological characteristics and produces its first shoots at 1 - 2 °C, and at 12 °C the greenery completely covers the area and quickly bushes. On average, the growing season lasts from 270 to 350 days. At the same time, culture is very sensitive to high temperatures, when thickened, it can lie down, and when used as an intermediate plant, it dries out the soil greatly. Vegetables planted in that place need careful watering. Spring rye is sown in the spring, mostly in the Carpathian region and the mountainous regions of the Carpathians. In the central and northern regions of Ukraine, it is often grown as insurance against winter crops freezing, as well as in feed mixtures. The varieties “Onokhoiskaya”, “Tulunskaya”, “Kabardinskaya” are popular. Their peculiarity is the need to increase the sowing rate due to poor tillering. Despite the existence of different annual sowing species, in the domestic agriculture Common rye is cultivated.

Features of planting rye

By sowing your garden with rye, you will protect it from erosion and enrich it with nitrogen, potassium, and organic substances, which contribute to loosening and breathability of the soil. In addition, you will get rid of annoying pests and weeds at the same time. Even perennials such as wheatgrass and knotweed will not survive.

It is advisable to prepare the site for winter rye in advance and organize its sowing after late crops. Can also be used as a precursor for dead and spring cereals or as an intermediate plant. It’s not for nothing that agronomists call rye a green fertilizer, which is not inferior in quality to humus and mineral complexes. For this purpose, it is necessary to calculate the sowing so that the internodes of the future green manure have time to form before spring.

During the off-season period, when most representatives of the vegetable flora cannot fully develop, the roots of rye loosen the soil, and with the onset of a thaw, they produce seedlings that quickly increase biomass. Harrowing the bed with a rake will speed up the germination of shoots. Z and a few weeks before planting the main crop, rye sprouts are cut off, provided that their height has reached 60 cm, and buried 3 - 5 cm into the ground so that the mass of rotted leaves and earthworms infest it. On average, there should be about 5 kg of greenery per square meter of area. On such land, potatoes, zucchini, tomatoes, pumpkin, cabbage, and cucumbers will quickly grow.

It is best to sow a cereal crop after lupine, oats, perennial grasses with one-cut use, fiber flax, silage corn, and potatoes. By the way, it is after this root crop that the earth suffers from nematodes and is in dire need of healing, which is why rye is needed.

How to prepare the soil for rye

Depending on predecessors and soil climatic conditions carry out basic and pre-sowing cultivation of the land. Preparations begin a month before sowing. To begin with, plow the top layer with or without a plow. In a certain place in the area where rye will grow, after early ripening plants, the main tillage is carried out as a semi-fallow one. One or two peelings with disk and plowshare plows, plowing with a plow to a depth of 22 - 25 cm and two or three cultivations are enough, each time reducing the depth by a few centimeters.

When sowing rye after flax and potatoes, a weed-free garden is cultivated with flat cutters and needle harrows to a depth of 10 - 12 cm. In weedy beds, they are deepened to 20 - 22 cm.

If the predecessors of winter rye were corn and herbaceous perennials, it is necessary to walk with disc harrows to a depth of 12 cm and plow with a plow to 25 cm. It is also appropriate to till the soil with combined AKP units - 2.5 or flat cutters with harrows, ring-spur rollers.

After grain crops, the area is husked and plowed to a depth of 16–18 cm in the northern regions of Ukraine and 20–22 cm in the central-southern regions. It is worthwhile to carry out rolling and harrowing at the same time. Please note that if there is very little time left before sowing the rye, it is better to get by with surface treatment with disc hulls.

Lupine grown for fertilizer is planted 25 cm into the soil when small grayish peas have formed on it. The soil is plowed to a depth of 18–20 cm.

To prevent the prepared area from becoming overgrown with weeds before sowing, it is periodically cultivated and harrowed. Before sowing, they are treated again with a cultivator to the depth of lowering the grain. Some agronomists recommend an alternative of combined units such as RVK - 3.6, RVK - 5.4.

Important! To destroy pathological microbes, seeds are treated with “Fundazol” (2.5 – 3 kg/t), “Tranosan” (1 kg/t), “Baytan” (2 kg/t) before sowing. Fresh, unsettled grains are strictly not recommended for planting, since they are not yet ready to germinate.

Optimal sowing dates

The period when rye is sown before winter depends on the characteristics of the variety, climatic conditions of the region, soil moisture, predecessor and weather. For example, diploid species and rye with poor previous inhabitants of the bed need early sowing. To create a favorable environment in the fall and prevent the crop from overgrowing and reducing its frost resistance, winter crops should be sown in the second half of the recommended periods. As a result, before the cold snap, they will have time to form for further development the most resistant specimens.

In Ukrainian agricultural enterprises in the western part of the country and the Forest-Steppe, for a safe wintering, they are sown in the second ten days of September, in Polesie - in the first, in the Steppe - in the second - third ten days.

Knowing how quickly rye grows, it is important not to miss the moment. On average, sowing should occur 50 days before the temperature drops permanently (4 - 5 °C). During this period, the sprouts will get stronger and rise by 25 cm. If you sow earlier or later, the crop may not survive the winter.

Winter varieties can be sown in the spring, but you should not count on a harvest. In order for the crop to have time to spike, it is vernalized - seeds germinated to one millimeter are sprinkled with a damp substrate and sent to the refrigerator for a month. After the manipulations are carried out, they are sown. There is an opinion that when rye grown using this method is harvested, an increase in its yield is noted.

Sowing technology (methods)

There are three sowing methods:

• ordinary row with tramlines (the most effective, as it allows you to evenly distribute the seed);
• narrow row;
• cross.

Winter rye is close to wheat in terms of timing and methods of sowing. The optimal depth for grains in chernozem with sufficient moisture is 3–4 cm, on light soils – 5–6 cm, in dry weather 7–8 cm. Do not forget that the tillering node of rye is located close to the roots, so deepening is unnecessary .

Row spacing is made at 15–20 cm.

Did you know? 100 g of rye grain contains 8.8 g of proteins; 60.7 g carbohydrates; 1.7 g fat; 13.7 g water; 13.2 g dietary fiber; 1.9 g of minerals, as well as small amounts of vitamins B, PP, E and fiber.

Rye: care rules (weed control, pest control, soil cultivation, fertilizing)

In autumn, it is important to create conditions for good germination, rooting, tillering and flooding of cereals. For this purpose, the sown area is rolled in dry weather, with the exception of crops on heavy soils. Otherwise, you risk greatly compacting the grains and soil, resulting in a tight crust, which will make it difficult for the sprouts to hatch.

For the winter, it is advisable to fertilize the bed with a phosphorus-potassium mixture, which will strengthen and promote the hardening of the rye. Nitrogen-containing fertilizers are not yet recommended for young shoots - they will destroy the cold-resistant qualities of the variety.

In winter, you need to help the cereal grass overcome the cold, the formed ice crust and other obstacles to growth. Snow retention will help save the crop and increase its yield. On large farms it is carried out using forest belts, but at home you can limit yourself to arranging brushwood or shields.

From the end of November until March, vigilant owners germinate samples to apply competent measures for further care.

In spring, you need to make sure that water does not accumulate on the field. If it stands for more than 10 days on sowing, everything will be lost. On sandy soil, which constantly suffers from a lack of moisture, there is a need to retain melt streams. And in conditions of a sharp premature thaw, roll the field with a roller to retain the snow cover on it. The procedure will help the rye to safely survive subsequent frosts. Do not compact the entire area; leave row spacing.

With the onset of warmth, a few days after the earthen ball stops sticking together, carry out harrowing to destroy the top crust and remove emerging weeds. Rye aggressively displaces other plants from the site, so herbicides are applied rarely, in heavily weeded areas.

Did you know? Rye ended up in the fields like a weed. At first they fought with her, and then the Asians appreciated her taste qualities and began to cultivate. The final cultivation of cereals was done by the Slavs.

Soon you will need to feed the sprouts that survived the winter. Agronomists recommend mineral fertilizers Apply twice: before the main tillage and in the spring. The norms are calculated at a level lower than that of winter wheat, since large dosages provoke lodging of the stems. In addition, rye absorbs nutrients much more intensively even from inaccessible depths of the soil. On average, from 45 to 90 kg of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium are used per hectare. Corrections are made by soil characteristics. The rate is increased when the predecessors were stubble crops, and when growing tetraploid rye species. But after corn it is worth increasing the amount of nitrogen, and, on the contrary, reducing it after peas and perennial herbal plants.

The full dose of potassium fertilizers, 80% of phosphorus fertilizers are applied when cultivating the soil, the remaining 20 - 15% of phosphorus is applied during sowing. How Alternative option consider heavily decomposed phosphate rock mixed with manure and peat. On poor substrates, it is appropriate to fertilize with nitrogen (30 kg/ha) when forming a bed.

To feed green mass, 30–60 kg/ha of nitrogen is added at the third stage of organogenesis, and 30 kg/ha at the fourth stage. In an acidic environment, when the pH is less than 5, winter crops lack lime (3 – 5 t/ha), and on salt marshes – gypsum (3 – 5 t/ha).

Of the organic fertilizers for rye, manure, compost mixtures of peat and manure, phosphate rock and lime are important.

In summer there is no longer any need to till the soil, however, care does not stop. Now comes the time to combat pests, diseases and preventive measures. Despite the resistance of rye, due to some climatic circumstances, cases of fall armyworm infection of winter crops cannot be ruled out. Its caterpillars die under the influence of insecticides. The plant is loved by weevils, bread beetles, bugs, turuns, and cross grass. They greatly spoil the stems and grain. Inspect your garden periodically and cultivate it in calm weather. by special means. Pests will disappear from the soil if winter rye and straw are harvested in a timely manner and the soil is properly prepared. A sevo change would be appropriate.

Don't forget to pull out any rare weeds. To prevent the stems from lodging, in the booting phase they are sprayed with Campazon 50% (3 - 4 l/ha) or a mixture of Campazon (1.5 - 2 l/ha) and TUR (3 l/ha). By the way, the latter drug can be mixed with herbicides if there is a need to add them.

Did you know? Rye is used to make starch, flour, malt, alcohol, kvass, bread, as medicine and construction material for roofing. It has expectorant, laxative, immunostimulating, and dietary properties. Has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the heart and vascular system, food tract, improves metabolism.

How to properly harvest rye

Rye is ripe when the grain holds well in the ear and does not crumble, but dry substances no longer flow into it. Harvesting of the grain mass begins in the middle of waxy ripeness, avoiding loss of seeds and lodging of ears. This process is first carried out using rollers with an optimal thickness of 20 cm, 15 cm when there is excess moisture in the air, and 25 cm when there is drought. At the same time, the combine does not change direction; the ears are fed into the header. In terms of harvesting time, winter rye ripens faster than wheat by 7–8 days. You can recommend this article to your friends!

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