Sowing cereal crops

what 4 things need to be done in preparation for sowing cereals?

• rotation,

• land preparation,

• seed quality,

• seed dressings.

why is rotation beneficial?

• yield improvements,

• soil condition,

• manage weed species,

• manage disease cycles.

what are the 3 types of cultivation?

1. ploughing,

2. minimal tillage using discs,

3. no till - direct drilling into stubble.

what are 2 seed characteristics which influence crop growth?

seed weight and germination rate

when does seed and germination rate need to be determined?

prior to drilling

what does individual seed weight vary between?

varieties and seasons

what does individual seed weight influence?

seed rate, seedling vigour and seed quality.

what is the thousand grain weight of wheat?

35-55g

what is the thousand grain weight of barley?

30-50g

what is germination rate?

the proportion of seeds that will germinate and produce seedlings

what will germination rate influence and when does it need to be determined?

seed rate and needs to be determined before sowing

what is the minimum germination capacity of grain sold as ‘seed’ ?

85%

what must new seed varieties be?

new, distinct, uniform and stable

what scheme is there regarding speed quality?

UK seed certification scheme

what are the 4 stages of seed multiplication?

pre-basic seed (from breeders seed),

basic seed (produced by breeder or under breeders responsibility),

certified seed 1st generation (C1),

certified seed 2nd generation (C2) (cannot be used as a seed crop).

what has historically been a major problem in cereal crops?

seed borne and soil borne diseases

give 4 examples of seed and soil borne diseases?

fusarium, ergot, smut and bunt

what do infections result in?

loss of yield, contamination of grain and seed

what are the second steps needed to prepare land for growing cereal crops?

• drilling,

• drilling date,

• depth of sowing,

• row spacing.

what are the early sowing dates in winter cereals?

september - mid october

what are the mid sowing dates of winter cereals?

mid october - end november

what are the late sowing dates of winter cereals?

december - january

when, in general, does yield potential decline?

with later sowing

what are the advantages of early sowing?

• higher yield potential,

• more extensive root development,

• more uniform establishment,

• quicker emergence,

• increased plant survival over winter,

• less leaching of N,

• larger window for post emergence weed control,

• greater tillering.

Disadvantages of early sowing?

• less time for seedbed preparation and drilling,

• greater weed burden,

• greater risk of foliar diseases,

• risk of BYDV,

• greater risk of stem and root diseases,

• greater risk of frit fly/gout fly.

when are highest yield obtained?

when interplant spacing is as wide as possible

what is the range that row width can vary?

between 10cm and 25cm

what is the normal row width?

12 to 15cm

what is wider spacing needed for?

inter-row cultivation

what is the optimum sowing depth?

2.5-3.7cm

what happens if sowing depth is too deep?

slow establishment, poor establishment, week seedling.

what happens if sowing depth is too shallow?

moisture stress, bird damage

what happens if drilling speed is too fast?

it causes bounce and variability in drilling depth