Spring wheat management

By Laura Lindsey, Pierce Paul, Ed Lentz, CCA, Alyssa Essman, Ohio State University Extension

Spring is an important time to make key management decisions for winter wheat. Decisions should be made on wheat growth stage, not calendar date or crop height. Correct growth stage identification and knowledge of factors that affect grain yield can enhance management decisions, avoiding damage to the crop and unwarranted or ineffective applications. Several scales can be used to identify wheat growth stages, including the Feekes and Zadoks scale. Here we focus on the Feekes Growth Scale and key spring management practices.

Feekes 5 Growth Stage

At Feekes 5 growth stage, leaf sheaths are strongly erect. This is an ideal growth for spring topdress nitrogen application. Weed control efforts should be made prior to or during Feekes 5.0 with 2,4-D and other labeled herbicides. This is also a good stage to begin scouting for foliar diseases. … Continue reading