Methods and Technical Points for Cultivating Strong Wheat Seedlings Before Winter

Only by cultivating strong seedlings before winter can you ensure large ears, many grains, heavy grains, and a high-yield harvest for the next year's wheat.

The standard for strong wheat seedlings before winter is: before winter, the main stem grows 7-8 leaves, each plant has 7-8 tillers, and 8-9 secondary roots; for ordinary wheat fields, the number of stems per mu should be 1.5-2 times the number of ears for the next year; for high-yield fields, it should be 1.2-1.5 times.

To reach the above standard for strong seedlings before winter, the following management measures must be carried out well: Check and replant seedlings early, and thin and reduce seedlings at the right time. After wheat emerges, wheat fields with missing seedlings or broken rows should be checked and replanted in time. In order to reduce the gap between replanted wheat fields and the large seedlings sown early; before replanting, seeds can be soaked for one day at a ratio of 1 kg seeds to 1 kg water, removed and aired for 1-2 hours, then replanted; if replanting is late, the seeds should be sprouted, which can make seedlings emerge 2-3 days earlier; if it is too late and replanting is no longer possible, transplanting can be done in combination with thinning and reducing seedlings. For transplanting, large and strong seedlings should be used, and the planting depth should be such that the heart leaf is not buried. After planting, press firmly, water, and cover with soil; thinning and reducing seedlings can ensure uniform and strong seedlings. Therefore, for wheat fields with excessive populations and the “clumped seedlings” in ordinary wheat fields, thinning and reducing seedlings should be done early. Apply seedling fertilizer and winter fertilizer according to the field and seedlings. Before winter, in combination with watering, applying seedling fertilizer and winter fertilizer according to the field and seedlings plays an important role in promoting strong seedlings, protecting wheat seedlings for safe overwintering, and consolidating tillering before the year ends. For dry and poor wheat fields or ordinary wheat fields with weaker seedling growth, seedling fertilizer should be applied early at the three-leaf stage, with 15-20 kg of standard nitrogen fertilizer per mu; for wheat fields with relatively fertile soil and relatively strong seedlings, winter fertilizer can be applied between Start of Winter and Minor Snow in combination with watering winter water, with 10-15 kg of standard nitrogen fertilizer per mu; for plots lacking phosphorus and potassium, 15-20 kg of nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium compound fertilizer can also be applied; 2000-3000 kg of farmyard manure can also be spread in the wheat field, or 500-600 kg of human excreta can be applied. However, urine cannot be applied to snow-covered wheat fields or saline land; for high-yield wheat fields, with fertile soil, strong seedlings, and sufficient tillers, generally no additional fertilizer is needed, to prevent excessive population growth from causing lodging later. Observe the soil moisture of the wheat field and water well before winter at the right time. Pre-winter water mainly refers to weak wheat fields or low-lying land at the tillering stage; when the soil water content in winter is above 15%, watering may be omitted; if the soil is dry and the water content is below 15%, winter water should be applied. The most suitable watering time is within the half month from Start of Winter to Minor Snow when the daily average temperature is 6-4 degrees. Hoeing, rolling, earthing up, preserving soil moisture and preventing cold. Before winter, wheat should be hoed in time. Hoeing can increase the water content of the soil plow layer, raise soil temperature, and promote healthy and strong growth of wheat seedlings. The timing of hoeing should be mastered, that is, after watering the wheat field or after rain, when the surface soil turns “white” or has “mottling.” For excessively growing wheat fields, deep hoeing of 10-12 cm should be carried out to suppress tillering and prevent lodging. Before winter, rolling the wheat field 1-2 times is very beneficial.

First, it can reduce water evaporation, and in deep winter it can also prevent invasion by cold wind.

Second, it can make the soil compact, strengthen capillary action, increase moisture in the surface soil layer, and help rooting and forming a compact crown.

Third, it can inhibit excessive growth in overly vigorous wheat fields. However, wet soil and saline wheat fields cannot be rolled, to avoid causing soil hardening or salt (alkali) return. Rolling should be done on clear days after 10 a.m. and before 4 p.m. The main effect of earthing up wheat fields before winter is to enhance wheat's drought resistance and cold resistance, and it also has the effect of suppressing tillering, promoting large tillers, and cultivating roots to prevent lodging. The method is, in combination with intertillage, to use a hoe to mound soil around the wheat roots, but the thickness of the mounded soil should be controlled so as not to bury the large tillers.