WHEAT

DEEPTHI C.
Assistant professor
Agronomy
PGPCAS
• Botanical Name : Triticum aestivum
• Family : Gramineae / Poaceae
• Origin :South Western Asia
• It is a self-pollinated species.
• Long day plant.
• Dwarf variety was introduced in india – in
1963 called mexican dwarf wheat.
• Triple dwarf variety of wheat – 1970
• Protein – gluten(11-12%)
• Test weight-40g
 ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE OF WHEAT 

• In India, wheat is the second most important

staple food crop after rice.
• GRAIN-Wheat grain flour is used in form of
chapati, puri, bread, cake, sweetmeats, etc.
• Wheat grain contains 11.2% protein which is
more than other cereals.
• Wheat provides the characteristic substance
“Gluten” which is very essential for bakers.
 Contd…
• STRAW-it is also used in paper industries and
for making temporary huts and roofs.
• The bran, husk, and other portion of grain and
straw are available to feed for livestock.
• Wheat straw is also a good source of bedding
material for livestock.
• The ripe un-threshed ear heads are used to
make decorative items
SPECIES UNDER CULTIVATION :

Triticum aestivum ( BREAD WHEAT )

Triticum durum ( MARCONI WHEAT )
Triticum dicoccum ( EMMER WHEAT )
 Triticum aestivum
(Common Bread Wheat)

• Its hexaploids, 2n = 42( important species but

mostly grown in India)
GLUTEN – 11%
• Occupying about 87% of the wheat area. It is
good for chapati making & bakery products.
• Introduced in India by Dr. N.E. Borloug from
Mexico (CIMMYT) hence called Mexican
dwarf wheat.
 Triticum durum 
( Durum / Marconi wheat)

• Tetraploids, 2n =28.
• GLUTEN – 12%
• Use in suji, pasta, and vermicelli preparation.
• This occupies about 12% of the wheat area,
particularly in CENTRAL And PENINSULAR
(southern) India.
 Triticum diccocum
( Emmer wheat )

• Tetraploids, 2n =28.
• GLUTEN – 13%
• Occupies about 1% of the total area of wheat and
are confined to Gujrat, Maharastra, A.P, KN &
TN.
• Suitable for preparation of south Indian dish
“uppumav.”
• More heat tolerant than Triticum aestivum ,
Triticum durum.
 SOIL

• Wheat is grown in a variety of soils in India.

• Well-drained loam and clay loams are good for
wheat.
• Heavy soils with good drainage are suitable
for wheat cultivation under dry conditions 
 Contd…
•  pH   :  5.0 – 7.5 
• Texture : loam and clay loams
• Structure : crumby 
• Bulk density : 1.33 – 1.5  g/cm3           
• WHC : Moderate water holding
capacity is ideal for wheat cultivation.
• Soil depth  : 60-70cm
 Climate
• It is a long day plant with wider adaptability.
• Prefer areas with cool & moist weather during
growing period followed by dry & warm
weather during maturity.
• The optimum temperature range for ideal
germination is 20-25 degrees celsius
 Temperature requirement at different stages

•  Germination          :   20-25 c

•  Vegetative growth      :   16-22 c
•  Proper grain filling :     23-25 c
 Contd…
• Relative humidity : for crop growth is 50-60% .
• But at the time of maturity crop requires less
humidity.
• Annual rainfall : required is 750-1000mm.
• Light intensity : requires 8 hours of sunshine
per day.
• Short days increase the vegetative growth whereas
long day hastens the formation of inflorescence
 MORPHOLOGY OF WHEAT

1. ROOT: a) SEMINAL ROOT: used by

seedlings to absorb nutrients
b) CLONAL ROOTS: which arise
from the lower nodes of the shoot
forming the permanent root system
2. STEM:
 Erect 30-120cm in height.
 Cylindrical, elongated stem with internodes
called CULM.
 The shoot is terminated by an ear or spike
bearing about 20 spikelets.
3. TILLERS:
• Lateral branches having the same basic
structure as the main shoot, arise from the
Axils of basal leaves.
• At anthesis, some tillers develop to form an
ear
4. Leaves
• Simple, alternate, claw-shaped, parallel
venation tapering towards tip having a sheath,
blade.
• At the junction of sheath & blade is
membranous structure ligule, and a pair of
small, hairy projections auricles.
5. INFLORESCENCE:
 Spike of spikelets containing 15-20 spikelets.
6. GRAIN:
• Caryopsis.
• Grain consists of embryo, bran, and
endosperm.
 MORPHOLOGICAL DIFFERENCE BETWEEN Wheat AND
BARLE

Particulars Wheat Barley

Leaf-blade Short Long
Leaf-sheath Green Purple
Hairy Glabrous
Auricles Shorter with Longer and has
small hairs no hairs.
AWN or Short Long
WHEAT
BEARD
 GROWTH STAGES OF WHEAT
VEGETATIVE STAGES:
Germination : 5-7DAS
CRI : 20-25DAS
The 3-4leaf stage when crown root appears
Tillering : 45 DAS
Bud primordia develops into tillers
Jointing : 45-60 DAS
Peak plant growth
Internode elongation period
REPRODUCTIVE STAGES

BOOTING : 70-85DAS
The head of the wheat plant grows from the top of the
stem and has the last leaf wrapped around it called Flag
leaf
FLOWERING: 85-90DAS
Anthesis of florets and fertilization
MILKING  : 100-105DAS
Kernel formation stage
DOUGH : 105-110 DAS
Physiological maturity i.e. maximum dry weight
with 30%moisture
MATURITY : 115-120 DAS ( 13% moisture)
 FIELD PREPARATION
• During land preparation, one ploughing should
be done with MB plow and 2-3 ploughing with
harrow or cultivator.
• After this, the land should be leveled after
every ploughing.
Seed Bed Requirement
• The wheat crop requires well pulverized but
compact seedbed for good and uniform
germination.
• The seedbed should not be cloudy or dusty.
• Preparatory tillage operations varies with type
of cultivation i.e., whether grown as a rainfed
or irrigated crop.
 Method of sowing

1)Broadcasting
2)Behind the plough
3)Line sowing
4)Drilling
5)Dibbling
6) FIBR (furrow irrigated raised bed)
 Water management

• Total water requirement (mm) – 450mm /460mm.

• 1500 mm ( Approx) of water is required to
produce 1 kg of dry matter of wheat.
 SCHEDULING OF IRRIGATION
• On the basis of:-
IW/CPE RATIO – 0.7 to 0.9
TIME INTERVAL :
Generally, the wheat crop requires 4-5 irrigation.
FIRST irrigation 20-25 days after sowing (Crown root initiation stage).
SECOND Irrigation 40-45 days after sowing (tillering stage).
THIRD Irrigation 70-75 days after sowing (late jointing stage).
FOURTH Irrigation 90-95 days of sowing (flowering stage).
FIFTH Irrigation after 110-115 days of sowing (dough stage)
 Critical stages of wheat cultivation

There are 6 critical stages with respect to water-

• Crown root initiation stage(20-21das)
• Tillering stage(42das)
• Jointing stage (60das)
• Flowering stage(80das)
• Milking stage(95das)
• Dough stage(115das)
 
 METHOD OF IRRIGATION

BORDER STRIP METHOD is the most commonly

adopted method of irrigation followed by CHECK
BASIN METHOD.

SPRINKLER METHOD is also used in wheat

crops, especially on light soils having sand-dunes,
where border strip or even check basin is not
possible.
 DRAINAGE

• Adequate drainage is a requirement for

achieving a crop’s production potential.

• Rainfall can be beneficial to the crop if good

drainage is provided.
• Drain furrows are commonly used to improve
a field’s surface drainage.
 WEED MANAGEMENT

• The critical period of crop Weed Competition:- 30-

45 days
Major weeds:
Lambsquarter : Chenopodium album
Prickly dock : Rumwex denticulata
Chicory  : Cichorium intybus
Field bind Weed : Convolvulus arvensis
Canary grass : Phalaris minor
Chenopodium album
Phalaris minor
Cichorium intybus
Convolvulus arvensis
 Weed management practices
• Cultural control
• Mechanical control
• Chemical control
• Preventive control.
 Cultural control

• Use clean wheat seed that is free from wheat seed.

• go in for an early showing of wheat.
• Adopt closer row spacing.
• Adopt criss-cross Showing to increase the Population
density of the wheat plants.
• Place basal dose of fertilizer 2-3 cm below the seed.
• Showing of wheat on FIRBS reduces Weed population.
 Mechanical Control

• It involves the removal of Weeds by Various tools as implements including

hand Weeding s Pulling.

• It is not feasible where weeds Resemble morphological to crop ego

Phalaris minor Avena Ludoviciana before flowering in wheat.

• Also, mechanical Weed control becomes difficult In broadcast show wheat.

• Howe ever mechanical control can be Practiced effectively When wheat is

Sown on FIRBS as the system facilities tractor-mounted implements use.
 Chemical control

Chemical weed control is preferred because of

 Less labour involvement
 No mechanical damage to the crop that
happens during the manual wedding.
 The control is more effective as the weeds
even within the rows are killed which
invariable escape because of morphological
similarity to wheat, during mechanical control.
 Preventive method

1. Crop rotation
2. Cover crops (used as green manures or dead
mulches)
3. Tillage systems
4. Seedbed preparation
5. Soil solarization.
6. Management of drainage and irrigation systems
7. Crop residue management
 Harvesting Of Wheat

• Removal of the economic part of the plant at

definite maturity is called as Harvesting.
• The rain-fed crop reaches the harvest stage
much earlier than the irrigated crop
 Contd…
Judging of Physiological Maturity
•  Grain Moisture content = 15-20 %
• Yellowing of the Spikelets( 80-90 % ) OR
the plant turns golden yellow and becomes
brittle.
True Maturity
• Grains become hard and the straw becomes
dry and brittle.
 Method Of Harvesting

• The harvesting can be done with the help

of serrated sickle manually or with the help
of bullock-drawn reapers. ( Near to the
Ground )
• Harvesting can also be done with the
help combine  harvesters to avoid losses in
grain yield due to shattering and lodging
 THRESHING

• Done by power-operated threshers

• By threading the head of the wheat with the
bullock cart.
• By beating them with the help of bamboo
sticks.
• By running the tractor over the heads.
 WINNOWING

• Power-operated winnowers
• Combine harvester
• Manual Manual winnowing
 YIELD OF WHEAT

Rainfed wheat – 15-20 q/ha

Irrigated wheat – 35-40 q/ha
 Growth and yield attributing characters

• No. of plant/m²
• No. of productive tillers/plant
• Total no. of grains/ear head
• Test weight (1000 seed weight)
Thankyou