The time is coming to start checking wheat stands for winter injury and heaving.
One of the best ways to check your fields is by evaluating plants per foot of row. The rule of thumb is that fields with an average of 23 HEALTHY plants/m (7 plants/ft) of row, will still achieve 90% yield potential. Anything less should be monitored closely.
Damaged plants will often recover under good weather conditions, however, it is important to keep assessing stands in case a replant is needed. You will want to start evaluating plants when soil temperatures are around 4 - 5°C. Assess plant health by digging-up several plants and taking a look at the roots and crowns. Roots should be white, and crowns should be white to light green. If stands are below 7 plants per foot of row, or the existing plants are weak and heaving out of the ground, growers should consider replanting.
Figure 1. Healthy winter wheat crown and roots. Sourced from: University of Wisconsin, http://corn.agronomy.wisc.edu/Crops/Wheat/L007.aspx
Those with Encirca PRO should be able to monitor their stand progress through NDVI and satellite imagery. If you have any questions about viewing your imagery on Encirca PRO or you are interested in using Encirca PRO, please contact Daryl Haanstra (905-973-0036) or Jordan Eyamie (905-966-9608).
If you are concerned about your wheat field stand, contact Daryl Haanstra, Jordan Eyamie, or the Twenty View office (905-957-4979). We can help evaluate your fields and help you decide if a replant is needed.
Author: Jordan Eyamie
April 17th, 2018
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