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| May 31 | |
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It has been very hot the past few days with temperatures near 100F and 20 MPH winds. That’s too hot for wheat! And it is hot and windy again today. Wheat is a cool season plant and if you could ask a wheat plant what it preferred it would tell you it enjoys temperatures in the upper 60s to low 70s. Almost all the flag leaves have died or the ones left have leaf rust on them, so they won’t last long with this heat. |
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Looking at some wheat heads in our row you can see quite a range in maturity. Some heads still have a lot of green color in them, while others are becoming more bronze. The stem color ranges from green to greenish-gold. Click here to see a close up of two heads. |
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I noticed some darker-than-normal heads in the area near our row and wondered what was the problem. The left head is the sick one and the right head is okay. Do you have any ideas? (Hint: What was the problem or disease in our field that we talked about over the past month or so?) That’s right! Barley Yellow Dwarf. This disease causes heads to darken and causes the kernels to shrivel. Click here for a close up of these two heads. |
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These kernels are about 25 days old. They have really changed colors since last week. They still have a slight green color, especially along the crease on the underside of the kernel. The kernel on the right is more tan, but has a hint of green at both ends and it is green along the crease like the first kernel (You will have to trust me.) If we smash a kernel, what do think the inside will look like? Last week it had a milky liquid. Will it be the same? |
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Hmmm, not much milky liquid now. This is a soft, mealy substance, but it is wet. It has a doughy texture. We call this the soft dough stage. The doughy substance is the starch that is in the kernel’s endosperm. We are on the downhill side of the grain filling period, so it won’t be long until harvest. |
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