Detailed Explanation of the Timing and Methods for Wheat Root Cutting

Adopting root cutting measures in wheat production can promote root growth, increase root number and root length, make the root system well developed, and keep the wheat seedlings strong. It can also inhibit ineffective tillering of wheat, enhance the cold resistance of the wheat seedlings so they overwinter safely, shorten the internodes, prevent lodging, and also increase grains per spike and raise yield. So what conditions are needed for wheat root cutting? How should it be done? Let's take a look.

1. Conditions for increasing yield through root cutting

First, look at the soil conditions. Soil fertility is the foundation of high wheat yield. In fertile soil, the wheat root system and tillering have strong self-regulation ability, not only producing more tillers and productive spikes, but also having a root mass significantly more developed than that of ordinary wheat fields, with deeper penetration into the soil. Soil suitable for root cutting is of medium fertility or above. Next, look at the wheat seedling conditions. The requirement is strong seedlings with more than 6 leaves on the main stem, more than 5 tillers per plant, and secondary roots reaching 10-15 cm in length. For overly vigorous wheat fields, where the seedling height reaches more than 30 cm, no small tillers occur, and the tillers are also very large, root cutting should not be used to solve the problems of an excessively large population and overly vigorous wheat seedlings.

2. Timing of root cutting

Winter root cutting should be started before overwintering, and it is most suitable when the daily average temperature is 8-15°C, also in early to mid-November, and in southern Shandong it can be until late November, when the secondary roots of wheat have already extended toward the inter-row spaces. Root cutting at the greening stage is best done at the beginning of greening or in the early period after greening, that is, from mid-to-late February to early March. Deep cultivation and root cutting at the standing stage is best done when standing begins, the second spring leaf emerges, and the leaf spacing begins to elongate, around mid-March.

3. Methods of root cutting

There are many methods of wheat root cutting, such as deep hoeing between rows to damage roots, manual deep digging to cut roots, animal-powered deep cultivation to cut roots, and mechanical deep cultivation to cut roots. However, manual deep hoeing and manual deep digging for root cutting involve high labor intensity and low labor efficiency, so they are rarely used. In the past, the commonly used method was animal-powered deep cultivation for root cutting, that is, using animal power to pull a three-tooth cultivator, with the rear tooth cultivating to a depth of more than 10 cm. After cultivation, use a bamboo rake to remove the clods pressing on the wheat seedlings and level the cultivation furrows to prevent air leakage and soil moisture loss. Wheat root damage should be determined according to soil fertility and seedling stage. For good soil fertility, relatively vigorous seedlings, and a large population, root damage should be heavier, and row-by-row cultivation can be used, with a depth of about 15 cm. For average or relatively good soil fertility, strong seedlings, and a suitable population, root damage can be lighter, and alternate-row cultivation is suitable, with a depth of about 10 cm.

  The above is an introduction to the timing and methods of wheat root cutting. I hope it can help you. To learn more related knowledge, please stay tuned to us.