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 8. While growth stage does vary throughout the County, most of our field are at or beyond Feekes 8 growth stage.
Feekes 8 – Last leaf just visible.
The flag leaf starts to emerge from the whorl above the third or fourth node. Strong partitioning of photosynthates to the developing head. The flag leaf will contribute 75% of the energy needs of the developing grain. Crop water demand increases to about 0.3 inch per day. Approximately 45 percent of the total dry matter is accumulated by this stage.
Management
To maintain optimal leaf area, scout for diseases and pests.