Wheat — Package of Practices
The main rabi cereal — sow on time into a cool, fine seedbed, never miss the crown-root irrigation, and keep watch for rusts and aphids.
Overview
Wheat is the main rabi cereal, needing cool weather during growth and warm, dry weather at ripening. Most of the crop is irrigated.
Timely sowing, a balanced split of nitrogen and the right irrigations — above all the first, crown-root irrigation — are what lift the yield.
Climate & season
Wheat needs cool weather (about 10–25 °C) for growth and warm, dry weather to ripen.
- Sow as temperatures fall in late autumn.
- Cool tillering followed by warm ripening gives plump grain.
- Late heat at grain filling shrivels grain.
Soil & land preparation
Best on a well-drained loam to clay loam at pH 6.0–7.5.
- Work to a fine, firm, level seedbed.
- Mix in 10–12 t/ha farmyard manure.
- Good tilth helps even drilling and emergence.
Choosing a type & seed
Choose types suited to timely or late sowing and to irrigated or rainfed conditions. No specific cultivar is named here.
Seed rate
- Timely, irrigated: 100 kg/ha.
- Late-sown: about 125 kg/ha.
- Use bold, clean, graded seed.
Seed treatment
- Treat with a recommended fungicide (helps against loose smut and seedling diseases).
- Add a bio-agent or insecticidal treatment where termites are a problem.
Sowing & spacing
- Sow on time — early-to-mid winter in most plains.
- Drill in rows 20–22.5 cm apart.
- Place seed about 5 cm deep with a seed drill.
- Ensure even depth and good seed-to-soil contact.
- For late sowing, raise the seed rate slightly and sow without delay.
Nutrient management
Nitrogen is split between sowing and the first irrigation; phosphorus and potash go in fully at sowing.
| Input | Dose | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Farmyard manure | 10–12 t/ha | Basal |
| Nitrogen (N) split | 120 kg/ha | Half basal · half at crown-root (first) irrigation |
| Phosphorus (P₂O₅) | 60 kg/ha | Full basal |
| Potash (K₂O) | 40 kg/ha | Basal |
Water management
Give 4–6 irrigations at the sensitive stages; the first is the most important.
- Crown-root initiation (~21 days) is the single most critical irrigation.
- Other key stages: tillering, jointing, flowering, milk and dough.
- Light, timely irrigations beat heavy, late ones.
Weed management
- Watch for grassy weeds (wild oat, canary grass) and broadleaf weeds.
- Use a recommended selective herbicide with timely hand weeding.
- Dense, even crop stands smother many weeds.
Plant protection
| Problem | Type | Watch for | Manage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rusts (yellow/brown/black) | Disease | Powdery pustules on leaves and stems | Resistant types, timely sowing, recommended fungicide |
| Powdery mildew | Disease | White powdery growth on leaves | Avoid excess nitrogen; fungicide if severe |
| Loose smut | Disease | Earheads turned to black powder | Use treated, clean seed |
| Karnal bunt | Disease | Blackened, foul-smelling grain | Clean seed, avoid late irrigation in humid spells |
| Aphids | Pest | Colonies on leaves and earheads | Conserve natural enemies; spray only at threshold |
| Termites | Pest | Drying plants, damaged roots | Well-rotted manure, treated seed |
- Sow treated seed of a resistant type on time.
- Keep nitrogen balanced and scout regularly.
- Manage rusts early, before they spread.
- Spray only when needed, following the label.
Use crop-protection inputs responsibly
Read the label, use the recommended dose, wear protective gear while spraying, and strictly observe the pre-harvest (waiting) interval before picking — on crops harvested repeatedly this matters at every picking. Prefer cultural and biological methods first and spray only when monitoring shows it is needed.
Harvesting & yield
Harvest when the crop is golden and the grain is hard, generally 110–140 days.
- Thresh and dry grain to about 10–12% moisture for safe storage.
- Irrigated crops commonly yield 4–5 t/ha or more.
Related crops
Wheat — Package of Practices
The main rabi cereal — sow on time into a cool, fine seedbed, never miss the crown-root irrigation, and keep watch for rusts and aphids.
Overview
Wheat is the main rabi cereal, needing cool weather during growth and warm, dry weather at ripening. Most of the crop is irrigated.
Timely sowing, a balanced split of nitrogen and the right irrigations — above all the first, crown-root irrigation — are what lift the yield.
Climate & season
Wheat needs cool weather (about 10–25 °C) for growth and warm, dry weather to ripen.
- Sow as temperatures fall in late autumn.
- Cool tillering followed by warm ripening gives plump grain.
- Late heat at grain filling shrivels grain.
Soil & land preparation
Best on a well-drained loam to clay loam at pH 6.0–7.5.
- Work to a fine, firm, level seedbed.
- Mix in 10–12 t/ha farmyard manure.
- Good tilth helps even drilling and emergence.
Choosing a type & seed
Choose types suited to timely or late sowing and to irrigated or rainfed conditions. No specific cultivar is named here.
Seed rate
- Timely, irrigated: 100 kg/ha.
- Late-sown: about 125 kg/ha.
- Use bold, clean, graded seed.
Seed treatment
- Treat with a recommended fungicide (helps against loose smut and seedling diseases).
- Add a bio-agent or insecticidal treatment where termites are a problem.
Sowing & spacing
- Sow on time — early-to-mid winter in most plains.
- Drill in rows 20–22.5 cm apart.
- Place seed about 5 cm deep with a seed drill.
- Ensure even depth and good seed-to-soil contact.
- For late sowing, raise the seed rate slightly and sow without delay.
Nutrient management
Nitrogen is split between sowing and the first irrigation; phosphorus and potash go in fully at sowing.
| Input | Dose | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Farmyard manure | 10–12 t/ha | Basal |
| Nitrogen (N) split | 120 kg/ha | Half basal · half at crown-root (first) irrigation |
| Phosphorus (P₂O₅) | 60 kg/ha | Full basal |
| Potash (K₂O) | 40 kg/ha | Basal |
Water management
Give 4–6 irrigations at the sensitive stages; the first is the most important.
- Crown-root initiation (~21 days) is the single most critical irrigation.
- Other key stages: tillering, jointing, flowering, milk and dough.
- Light, timely irrigations beat heavy, late ones.
Weed management
- Watch for grassy weeds (wild oat, canary grass) and broadleaf weeds.
- Use a recommended selective herbicide with timely hand weeding.
- Dense, even crop stands smother many weeds.
Plant protection
| Problem | Type | Watch for | Manage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rusts (yellow/brown/black) | Disease | Powdery pustules on leaves and stems | Resistant types, timely sowing, recommended fungicide |
| Powdery mildew | Disease | White powdery growth on leaves | Avoid excess nitrogen; fungicide if severe |
| Loose smut | Disease | Earheads turned to black powder | Use treated, clean seed |
| Karnal bunt | Disease | Blackened, foul-smelling grain | Clean seed, avoid late irrigation in humid spells |
| Aphids | Pest | Colonies on leaves and earheads | Conserve natural enemies; spray only at threshold |
| Termites | Pest | Drying plants, damaged roots | Well-rotted manure, treated seed |
- Sow treated seed of a resistant type on time.
- Keep nitrogen balanced and scout regularly.
- Manage rusts early, before they spread.
- Spray only when needed, following the label.
Use crop-protection inputs responsibly
Read the label, use the recommended dose, wear protective gear while spraying, and strictly observe the pre-harvest (waiting) interval before picking — on crops harvested repeatedly this matters at every picking. Prefer cultural and biological methods first and spray only when monitoring shows it is needed.
Harvesting & yield
Harvest when the crop is golden and the grain is hard, generally 110–140 days.
- Thresh and dry grain to about 10–12% moisture for safe storage.
- Irrigated crops commonly yield 4–5 t/ha or more.