Daily Celestial Challenge: Saturday - Agriculture
Wheat is the name given to that plant belonging to the family of seeds and which has terminal spikes that are made up of three or more grain gallops, from which, once crushed, they result in the flour.
As with other cereals, the word wheat, in addition to designating the plant, still designates its embryos. Along with corn and rice, wheat is one of the three most produced grains in the entire planet and even the one that most consume human individuals from very remote moments. Yellow is its characteristic color and its main uses are: to make flour or starch (as mentioned at the beginning), beer, whole wheat flour, semolina and an important variety of foods. The increase and the advance of the wheat require specific climatic conditions equivalent to: temperatures that oscillate between 3 ° and 33 ° C, being between 10 ° and 25 ° the most appropriate; need a humidity between 40 and 70%; presents a low liquid obligation, from 400 to 500 mm. per cycle; and the most satisfied floor will be that loose, deep, fertile and free of floods.
How to plant wheat, care, planting and harvesting
It is very interesting all that can provide us this crop so full of benefits. This is because this food can be produced from flour to pasta (spaghetti), foods that are very common to see in our kitchen. It is for this reason that in this article we will tell you how to plant wheat or scientifically known as Triticum spp.
Wheat is usually yellow and is one of the most cultivated grains in the world together with rice and corn.
ADVICE ON HOW TO PLANT WHEAT
CLIMATE OR WHEN TO SOW
Wheat is a plant that prefers a temperature of between 10 to 25 ° C, however it can hold minimum temperatures of 3 ° C and maximum of 30 to 35 ° C. The time when sowing depends a lot on the variety since there are some varieties of wheat that are sown in winter, while others are planted in spring.
Winter wheat plants are characterized by vegetating throughout the winter and finishing their cycle in summer. This variety requires a relative humidity of between 50 to 60% from the beginning of the head until the time of harvest and a dry climate at the time of maturation. On the other hand, the spring variety does not require low temperatures to be able to grow, that is to say, they can be sown during the spring, however they do not become so nutritious.
CROP IRRIGATION
Regarding how to plant wheat and irrigation, this is not a very demanding plant, however if you want to enjoy a good production you should water it two to three times a year, depending on the humidity of the earth.
The first copious irrigation is usually carried out in dry areas and warm periods after plowing. Likewise, an irrigation must be carried out during the stage of the canopy, which is when the appearance of the cane begins to be appreciated. Later during the spike it is necessary to water the soil again since the plant is in full activity and quickly consumes the water. Finally, a last irrigation should be carried out in full milk maturity of the spikes, at this stage you will note that the lower leaves will be dry while the rest of the plant and the top three are green.
GROUND
The best land that can be used is one that has a clay soil with an adequate lime content. In case of using a land that is very poor in organic content, some plants that serve as green manure should be fertilized or cultivated. It must also drain easily, be very deep and with a pH between 6.0 and 7.5.
FERTILIZERS
In soils with a fertility, a formula that is 4% nitrogen, 4% potash and 12% phosphoric acid must be applied. Likewise, manure, slag and phosphates can be used to fertilize the land that will be used for wheat cultivation.
STEPS ON HOW TO SOW WHEAT
The first step to take when it comes to how to plant wheat is to prepare the soil for this you must plow the soil in order to eliminate the weeds and stems of the plants that occupied the land. Then the step is passed to level the land and this process is repeated once more.
Once the soil is prepared in case of using a winter crop, remember that you must sow the seeds 7 weeks after preparing the soil, this being a factor to take into account when preparing the soil. On the other hand, the spring varieties can be sown once the soil is prepared.
Now you must put fertilizer or fertilizer on the ground to later make holes every 6 inches to plant 2 seeds at a depth of 2.5 inches in case of a variety of winter and 1.5 in varieties of spring.
CARE
WEEDS
Weeds can be influenced by not doing the work on the land, in addition to the sowing season and the vegetative period of the wheat.
In many places it is essential to use herbicides especially when using winter wheat, in addition to controlling weeds early because it has a rapid growth. Against the perennial weeds you can use synthetic phytohormones
There are also many pests and diseases that can give them, in this article you can learn more about them and how to treat them.
WHEAT COLLECTION
Usually after six months of planting you will be able to harvest, you will know that it is the right time when the leaves are dry and the grain has a good consistency. For this you can use a sickle in case of being a small farm. In more extensive lands the gleaner is used that is designed to cut horizontally. Afterwards, the plants are placed in a dry and well ventilated place where they are created to prevent them from losing and in order to reach a degree of maturation after 10 to 15 days. Finally you go through the threshing and your harvest will be ready to go to the market.