Causes of Wheat Seedling Death in Winter and Spring and Control Measures

During the growth of wheat, various problems often arise, and seedling death is one of them. It causes great harm to wheat growth, and the most common type is wheat seedling death in winter and spring. So what causes this? Let's take a look together.

1. Causes of wheat seedling death in winter and spring

1. Internal causes

Wheat itself has relatively weak cold and drought resistance. During cultivation, if a variety with poor cold resistance is used, it is highly susceptible to freeze damage and seedling death. Some farmers sow too early, and wheat seedlings that have reached the double-ridge stage of spike differentiation before winter have weak cold tolerance, so severe seedling death often occurs when freeze damage strikes. In addition, late-sown weak seedlings accumulate less sugar and are also highly prone to seedling death when exposed to cold and drought damage.

2. External causes

In addition to the factors of wheat itself and the variety, poor climate, soil conditions and inappropriate cultivation measures can also cause seedling death. For example, little rainfall in summer and insufficient soil moisture, together with little rain or snow and many cold winds in winter and spring, will intensify soil drought, placing the tillering nodes of wheat in a soil layer with abrupt changes between cold and warm, which can also cause physiological dehydration and death of wheat.

2. Measures to reduce seedling death

1. Choose cold-resistant varieties

Choosing varieties with strong overwintering ability and good cold resistance is the most effective measure to prevent freeze damage and seedling death. When introducing varieties in various places, the first thing is to understand their quality adaptability. While considering yield, cold resistance must also be considered. The selected variety should at least be able to overwinter safely in most years locally.

2. Irrigation at the seedling stage

For early-sown wheat fields sown with sufficient soil moisture, watering can be done at the tillering stage. If soil fertility is insufficient, a small amount of chemical fertilizer can be applied as a topdressing to promote early seedling growth and help the seedlings overwinter safely. For the management of late-sown wheat fields, the main focus should be on increasing ground temperature and preserving soil moisture. Intertillage and soil loosening can be carried out, and watering should not be done at the seedling stage, otherwise it will lower the ground temperature and affect seedling growth.

3. Timely winter irrigation

Winter irrigation can form a good soil moisture environment, regulate soil nutrients in the plow layer, increase the heat capacity of the soil, promote rooting and more tillering in plants, and cultivate strong seedlings. Irrigating with overwintering water is not only beneficial for preserving seedlings through winter, but can also reduce the adverse effects of early spring cold damage, drought damage and drastic temperature changes. It is an important measure to prevent wheat seedling death in winter and spring.

4. Timely pressing

Pressing can break up soil clods and firm the soil, allowing wheat roots and soil to combine tightly, promoting root development, and also has the effect of raising moisture and preserving moisture.

5. Timely covering

In winter, spreading sand to cover wheat and covering wheat with broken soil can deepen the burial depth of tillering nodes and protect leaves near the ground layer, reduce soil moisture evaporation, improve the moisture conditions at the tillering nodes, and play a role in heat preservation and freeze prevention. Generally, covering with 1-2 cm of soil can achieve a very good effect of freeze prevention and seedling protection.

The above is an introduction to the causes of wheat seedling death in winter and spring and the control measures. We hope it helps you. To learn more related knowledge, please keep following us.