Cultivation of Wheat

Botanical Name : Tritium aestivam

Family : Poaceae

Origin place :  South – west Asia / Afghanistan / India

Chromosome No.  42

Climate
• Cold and humid temperate climate.
• Cool and moist climate for vegetative growth.
• Temperature for germination (20-25°C), suitable temperature for budding is 16-20°C, and             suitable temperature for grain formation is 23-25°C (optimum temperature 20-25°C)
• Hot and dry weather is suitable for grain formation.

Soil: Loamy soil is best.

Seed Rate :

• 100 Kg/ha for normal sowing.
• 125 Kg/ha for non-irrigated areas or late sowing.
• 25-30 Kg/ha by Dibbler machine.

Seed treatment

Fungicide = Captan/Carbendazim or Vitavax  2 grams per kg. Seed

Insecticide = Chlorpyrifos or Fipronil 4.5 ml per kg. Seed

Rhizobium= Wheat is a grain crop, hence instead of Rhizobium bacteria, Azotobacter bacteria are used.

Seed Spacing –

• Row to row distance – 22.5 cm. Keeps.

• Plant to plant distance – 10 cm. Keeps.

• In dwarf varieties the seed depth is 4-5 cm. Keeps.

• 5-6 cm for one gene dwarf varieties

• 4-5 cm for two gene dwarf varieties

• 3 – 4 cm for triple gin bony varieties

Popular varieties of wheat :

• Raj-3765 (for late sowing and resistant to fall)

• Lok-1 (for late sowing)

• Raj-3077 (for saline areas and late sowing)

• Raj-3777 (developed from Durgapura)

• Raj-4120 – (It is resistant to UG – 99 Roli)

• Raj- 4037

• Malviya

• WH-147 for Chapati

Sowing Time

• The first fortnight of November (1-15 November) is a suitable time for sowing.

• Late sowing till 15th December.

• Cross sowing is done in wheat for more production.

Sowing methods

1. Drilling -Seed-cum-ferti-drills) This is the best method of sowing.

2. Broadcasting is required. In this method more seeds (125kg/ha)

3. Dibbling – In this, 25-30 kg/ha seeds are required and each seed is sown with the help of dibbler.

4. Putting seeds behind the plow (Behind the plow method) – It is of two types.

(i) Kera method: In this method the seeds are put by hand into the furrow made by the plough. And this method is suitable for the farmer in case the quantity of seeds is less.

(ii) Pora method – In this method, seeds are not sown by hand but are sown in a coulter attached to the plough.

5. FIRB Method (Furrow Irrigated Raised Bed System) – This is a new method of sowing.

Fertilizer

• 10-20 ton of cow dung manure.

• Ν.Ρ.Κ. Apply 120, 60, 40 kg/ha and 25 kg zinc sulphate at the time of sowing.

• Sowing half the amount of nitrogen and full amount of phosphorus and potash Give time.

• And the remaining quantity of nitrogen should be given with the first and second irrigation of wheat.

• And also use fertigation

Weeds control 

Monocot weeds:

Phalaris minor (for the control of Phalaris minor, applied Isoproturon @ 0.75kg ai. /ha at 30-35 days after sowing.

Phalaris minor has showed resistance against isoproturon reported by Dr. R.K. Malik at Hissar, hence Sulfosulfuron @ 20g/ha or Metasulphuron @ 4g/ha can be used instead isoproturon against Phalaris minor.

Avena fatua (wild oat): to control Phalaris minor and Avena fatua a post emergence application of Tribunil (now banned in India due to carcinogenic properties).

 Dicot weeds:

Chenopodium alb

um, Anagallis arvensis, Melilotus spp. etc. Applied 2, 4-D Eater Salt as post-emergence i.e. 30-35 DAS @ 500ml/ha to control dicot (broad leaved weeds).

In dwarf varieties application of 2, 4-D should be sprayed at 30- 35days after sowing because one week earlier spray may cause ear malformation in wheat. (2,4-D: 2, 4-dichlorophenoxy acetic acid)

Irrigation

There are six types of critical stages of irrigation in cultivation of wheat –

(i) First irrigation – 21 days after sowing, at apical root setting (CRI).

(ii) Second irrigation – after 40-45 days at the time of tillering stage.

(iii) Third irrigation .  of lump formation after 60-65 days at  late jointing stage

(iv) Fourth irrigation  – after 80-85 days at the time of flowering & butting stage

(v) Fifth irrigation (Milking Stage) – Milk stage of grains in the fruit after 100-105 days.

(vi) Sixth irrigation after 115-120 days at dough stage.

Disease :

There is different types of disease in cultivation of wheat –

• Yellow rust of wheat  ( striped rust )  :   Causal organism  – Puccinia striformis

Control : Resistant varieties viz. Sonalika, Choti lerma, Arun, Girija etc.

• Brown rust of wheat  ( leaf rust )  :  Causal organism  – Puccinia recondita (Fungus)

Control :  Resistant varieties viz. Sonalika, Pratap, Janak, Girija etc.
Spay of Diethen M-45 / 3kg/hec

• Black or stem rust  :  Causal organism – Puccinia graminis tritici

Control : Resistant varieties viz Sonalika, Choti lerma,
Arjun, Kalyan sona U.P-301, N.P.-20

Insect management :

There is different types of insect in cultivation of wheat –

(i) Wheat armyworm (Mythimna separata) –

• The crop affected by this insect becomes completely devoid of leaves as if the crop has been   grazed by animals.

• At present the incidence of this insect on wheat crop is negligible.

(ii) Termites (Odontotermes obesus):-

• Control – Treat chlorpyrifos @ 450 ml per 100 kg seed to prevent its effect.

• And for termite control in standing crops, chlorpyrifos @ 4 litres. Give with irrigation water at   the rate of per hectare.

• Apply Fipronil (reagent) @10kg/ha in standing crop.

(iii) Ghujhiya Vival (Tanymecus indicus):-

• It is the main pest of nursery stage of wheat

Harvesting : Wheat crop become mature in 120 to 150 days  and its harvest after maturity

Yield :   There is two  yield in cultivation of wheat

• Irrigated area  35 – 40 q/hac

• Unirrigated area 15- 20