Today managing your wheat crop requires knowledge of the different growth stages of the plant. Growth stage identification is critical for scouting and proper timing of fertilizer and pesticide applications. Each week throughout the rest of the growing season I will discuss the various wheat growth stages I am seeing in our wheat fields and management issues at each stage. This week I will focus on Feekes 7. Most of our wheat has progressed to the Feekes7 growth stage, some fields are approaching Feekes 8 growth stage and beyond.
Feekes 7 Growth Stage – Second Node Visible.
At the Feekes 7 growth stage, the second node is visible above the soil surface. These nodes are usually seen as clearly swollen areas of a distinctly different (darker) shade of green than the rest of the stem. Wheat will still respond to nitrogen fertilizer applied at Feekes 7 if weather prevented an earlier application; however, mechanical damage may occur from applicator equipment. A video demonstrating for identifying Feekes 7 and 8 growth stages can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnV57AhUt-Y&list=PLYlh_BdeqniJ8oD8TnyGhQHRd96ptV0Yt&index=2
Management
Plant growth regulators may be applied at this growth stage. Scout for insects, weeds, and diseases.