Wheat Leaf Emergence on Farms
May 2010 Precision Farming Articles - Willington Crop Services
The speed that leaves emerge on all crops and plants is closely related to
the weather and environmental conditions. Specifically temperature and
solar-radiation effects on wheat growth. And much
research on winter wheat crops and sowing date has found that for plants
growing under stress free conditions,
leaves and development stages in winter wheat crops with different sowing dates
will emerge after experiencing given amounts of temperature. And this experience
of temperature can be calculated as
(maximum day temperature + minimum day temperature)/2 .
For earlier drilled winter wheat crops plants may need to experience 120'C
days of accumulated temperature whilst late drilled crops may only need to
experience 80'C days per leaf. But research on
dynamics in
winter wheat crops indicates that varieties of winter wheat may respond
differently, some requiring more temperature experience than others.
Hence considering the temperatures of 2010 compared to average long term
temperatures for Suffolk (ref
Brooms Barn weather menu) in April:
long term average temperatures = 223.7'C days
2010 temperatures = 279'C days
So nearly 60'C days more in 2010 than an average year. And this extra
temperature could equate to an extra half leaf or more emerged in the month on
farms in Suffolk.
Severe environmental stress can upset this rate of leaf emergence. Such as
exceptionally hot weather, or drought conditions or excessive wet weather. The
very dry weather at present with just 12mm recorded at Brooms Barn in Suffolk in
April 2010 and a further 12 mm upto 24 May in 2010. Compared to the long term
average rainfall in Suffolk of 45mm in April and 48mm in May. Such drought
stress on wheat would speed leaf emergence in crops so they are emerging faster
than normal, and crops are rushing through their developmental stages on farms.
For accurate determination of leaf emergence and development stages of crops see
Agronomy Services UK and Independent Crop
Management from Willington Crop Services.
Willington Crop Services is located in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, UK. Working on farms with farmers in agriculture in Suffolk, Norfolk, Essex and Cambridgeshire in East Anglia, UK.
