Glory to hands with smell of bread: the realities of wheat growing
How to increase wheat yields and make a good profit? Probably, all farmers who cultivated this culture were puzzling over this issue. In recent years, the problem of increasing yields has become as relevant as never.
The fact is that in Ukraine we can observe a tendency to the significant reduction of the acreage under wheat. The growing popularity of biodiesel causes an increase in the total cultivation of the plants used for its production — rapeseed, maize. Therefore, wheat remains in the sidelines.
Follow the showing rules to increase wheat yields
There are many showing rules, the most important of which are:
- Bet on several wheat varieties at once. The entire wheat area should not be sown with only one variety or hybrid. This will protect your crops from possible adverse climatic or biotic effects.
- Follow the sowing rate. Due to the lack of sunlight and nutrients, the plants will grow weak and will not be able to produce a good crop. The optimum rate is 3–4 million grains per hectare. Sitting more in the event "if something won’t grow" is not the best option.
- Do not dig the seeds too deep, hoping for more moisture in the soil. It is best to sow to a depth of 3–4 cm, otherwise, the germination of the grains will be difficult.
Development of new cultivars and hybrids
Of course, there is, progress in the development of high-yielding cultivars. Breeders have even developed cultivars capable of yielding about 10 tonnes of grain per hectare. However, this is an almost unattainable ideal. Real conditions make tough adjustments.
For example, winter wheat, which is bad wintering, has to be sown. Because of prolonged droughts in summer, farmers are can’t choose productive cultivars but have to buy drought-resistant ones.
After sowing a new variety, it is often possible to increase yields by 10–15%. The main thing for the farmer is to keep your hand on the pulse. After all, when the fields of the neighbors (and most of the fields in your area) are wheat germs of the same variety, you will no longer be able to harvest such high yields due to diseases and various pests that are happy to taste the novelty.
It is easy to increase wheat yield if you choose modern varieties and hybrids that are right for your soil and climate region and if you follow all the rules of sowing.
The MIZEZ editorial team
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