After wheat turns green, it should be watered in time. When is the first watering?

Summary: After wheat turns green, what should be noted about the timing of the first watering?

This question seems a bit early now, but because the autumn harvest season is about to begin, after the corn harvest, wheat will also be planted. Watering wheat after it turns green is also a big matter. Every year, the watering of our family's wheat has to be done by taking turns in the village, and sometimes it is not until midnight that it is our turn to water.

When does wheat turn green?

The time when wheat turns green differs from region to region, and this is mainly related to the local climate. Wheat in southern regions generally turns green earlier, while wheat in the north turns green a little later. Generally, wheat enters the green-turning stage from early February to the end of March each year. At this time, the new leaves of the wheat have grown to about 2 cm.

How should wheat be watered during the green-turning stage?

Watering wheat during the green-turning stage is indeed an issue that needs attention, and farmers need to grasp the timing of watering. If wheat is watered too early during the green-turning stage, it is easy to cause an increase in ineffective tillering of the wheat. In addition, if watering is too early, the temperature is unstable, and the problem of late spring cold is especially likely to occur in North China. For example, one major reason for the wheat yield reduction this year was the impact of late spring cold. Watering too early will cause a sudden drop in the temperature of the wheat field, causing freezing damage to the wheat and hindering wheat growth. Therefore, the issue of watering during the green-turning stage of wheat needs to be handled carefully.

First, the temperature issue needs to be considered, because although the temperature gradually rises during the green-turning stage of wheat in spring, the temperature difference between day and night at this time is still relatively large, and blind watering can easily cause freezing damage to wheat. So it is necessary to wait a period of time before watering. It is best to water when the temperature is already suitable for wheat growth, the soil moisture condition is relatively good, and the intertillage and loosening of the soil for the wheat have been completed. What needs special attention here is the northern region, because late spring cold occurs relatively often there, so attention should be paid to changes in the weather.

Second is the issue of soil moisture condition in the wheat field. The moisture condition of wheat is also an issue that needs attention when watering. Sometimes the soil moisture condition of the wheat field is relatively good, and the wheat growth is also relatively good. For this kind of wheat field, the green-turning water can be applied later, or watering can be done directly at the wheat's stem-lifting or jointing stage.

However, the moisture condition of some wheat fields is not very good, the wheat growth is not very good, the wheat has not been given winter irrigation, and the soil condition is not very good. For such wheat fields, watering needs to be done in a timely manner. It is best to water when the frozen soil in the wheat field has completely thawed and the soil temperature can remain stable above 5°C. When watering, if the wheat growth is very poor, appropriate topdressing can be considered.

In addition, if the land where wheat is planted is relatively high, these areas can consider watering earlier. For those plots that are relatively low-lying, have poor soil conditions, are saline-alkali land, or have poor irrigation conditions, watering later can be considered. If a cold wave is encountered when watering, the watering work should be stopped immediately to prevent freezing damage to the wheat. So it is still that saying: wheat watering needs to be done according to local conditions. (Part 3)

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