It is the one of most important food grain crops in India and occupies approximately 230 million ha all over the world. India is the second largest producer of wheat, with 25million ha area under cultivation resulting in wheat production of 70 million tonnes. About one tenth of the globe’s production is from India. Wheat is grown during winter in the states of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. While in the northern states it is grown as an irrigated crop, it is grown largely under rain-fed conditions and with little or no irrigation support in many parts of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. In Maharashtra, wheat is grown in 7 lakh ha with average productivity of 13.2 q/ha against the national average of about 26.5 q/ha. Out of the four species, Triticum aestivum occupies almost 90% of the total wheat area.
Soil Requirement
Well-drained loams and clay loams are ideal for wheat cultivation. However, a good crop can be raised in sandy loams and black soils also. Soil pH below 6.5 and above 7.8 is not suitable.
Season and Duration
Being a low temperature crop, wheat is grown in winter, from the end of October to February under rain-fed conditions, and from the middle of November to March/April under irrigated conditions. Total duration of the crop ranges from 110 to 120 days under irrigated conditions, and 100–110 days under rain-fed conditions.
Cropping Pattern
Wheat is generally grown in the winter season after the intercrop of rice in the high rainfall and assured irrigated areas. In other areas, wheat is grown after sorghum, pearl millet, maize, groundnut, soybean or other legumes (pulses, beans)
Mustard and gram are common intercrops in the northern plains while rajgira, mustard and sunflower are common intercrops.
Crop Rotation
As wheat is a high nutrient demanding crop, it has to be grown in three years rotation. In the first year, grow only a legume crop in the Kharif season followed by wheat (with mustard/rajgira as intercrop) in winter and moong in the summer.
In the second year, grow millet as the main crop and legume as the intercrop (70: 30)in Kharif, and gram as the main crop with mustard/rajgira as intercrop in the Rabi season.
In the third year, grow cowpea or soybean as the main crop and maize/jowar as the intercrop in the Kharif season and wheat as the main crop and mustard/rajgira/methi (for seeds) as the intercrop, followed by moong (if possible).
Incorporation of mixed green manure crops such as sunhemp, sesban, cowpea, moong, cluster bean, jowar, niger, etc., (grown for60 days and incorporated in the soil about three weeks before the wheat crop) once in three years during the Kharif season will keep the fertility status of the soil at a reasonably good level.
Important Varieties
Famous traditional varieties are Sarbati (HD-2189, HD-2278, HD-2380, NI-5439-34, NIAW-34, NIW-301), Lok-1, Sehore (also known as Lahandosh or Chandoshi), Bansi (HD-4502, N-59,MACS-9) Bakshi, Khapli (Khirisathabh) and ‘Black Wheat’. All these varieties perform well under organic management and have excellent chapatti making quality.
Different varieties are recommended for rain-fed, early or late irrigated systems. Under rain-fed conditions, N 59, NI 5439-34(Ajanha), MACS-9, MACS-1967 are common. Farms with early irrigation systems grow Malvika (HD-452), HD-2380, HD 2189,HD 838, MACS 2496, DNR 162, Purna, etc.
Late season varieties include Sonalika, AKW-381, H1-977, HD-2501 HDM 1553, HI 177, HD 2501, Purna and AKN 1071.Export-oriented varieties are AB 1554, HD 452 (Malvika) or MACS 2846.
Wheat Varieties for the Andhra Pradesh
GW 322 HD 2781 (Aditya) HD 2833 (Tripti) HUW 510 Raj 4037
Seed treatment
Before treating the seeds, ensure they are healthy, uniform in size and free from damage from any insect or disease. Seeds are first treated with a mixture of Beejamrut and Trichoderma viride (@1.5kg and 80 gm respectively for every 10 kg of seed). Dry these seeds in the shade. Again, treat the seeds with a mixture of Azotobacter and PSB bio fertilisers using 200 gm of each for 10 kg of seeds. Dry the seeds in the shade and sow within 6–8 hours of treatment.
Seeds and Sowing
Seeds are sown 5–7.5 cm deep, preferably by drilling or behind the plough.
• Rain-fed: sown during mid-October to end of October, 75–100 kg/ha
• Irrigated: sown during 15 November to 05 December, 100kg/ha
• Irrigated late: sown during 05 December to end of December, 125 kg/ha
Spacing;
Row to row distance under rain-fed and irrigated conditions should be maintained at 22.5 cm. In the case of late sowing, row-to-row distance can be reduced to 15–18 cm.
To maintain biodiversity, 3 kg of maize seeds and 500 gm of mustard seed can be mixed with 100 kg wheat seeds at the time of sowing. Maize plants act as bird perches and attract predatory birds and insects. Mixed cropping of wheat with mustard, rajgira and rajma has also been found to be effective and productive. One row of rajma can be raised on bunds that are made after every 8–12rows of wheat, with random mustard plants in each wheat row. Alternatively one row of mustard can be grown after every 16 rows of wheat with random plants of rajgira in the wheat rows. Some maize plants grown either at random or along the boundary will be useful.
Weed management
Weeding is very important during early stages of cultivation. Under irrigated conditions, a minimum of three weedings are necessary, the first at 20–25 days, the second at 40–45 days and the third at 60–65 days after sowing. Under rain-fed conditions, weeding the field twice is essential.
Under organic management, manual weeding is the most preferred method. About 24–48 hours after sowing, divide the fields in small plots by raising small bunds, as per the slope. Spread the partly decomposed crop residue of the kharif crop (lying on the bunds) over the entire field to act as mulch. Mulching is highly beneficial for nutrient supply and water conservation. It also reduces weed growth.
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Soil Fertility Management
The wheat crop requires a well pulverized, but compact seed bed. After the Kharif harvesting, the land is ploughed and large soil lumps are softened by using a harrow or any other suitable tiller. The land should be properly levelled for uniform irrigation. One to three ploughings with intervals of 2–3 weeks in between are essential. Under irrigated conditions, the land is irrigated before sowing. The crop prior to wheat (in the Kharif season) should be provided with sufficient manure (1–2 tonnes of compost), 100 kg rock-phosphate and 2 kg PSB per acre. After harvesting the Kharif crop, collect the crop residue and keep it on the bunds. Ensure that one third of the total residue belongs to the legume crop. Drench the residue heaps with cow dung, cow urine slurry (50 l/tonne) and Trichoderma viride (1 kg/tonne) culture. Mix 8–10 quintals of FYM/compost or 5–10 quintals of vermicompost with 2 kg PSB with the soil at the time of sowing. If the soil is acidic, then 500 kg of lime should also be mixed with the compost. The addition of 200–300 kg of concentrated manure (dry chicken manure and crushed oil cakes 1 : 1 or any other type) and 150–200 kg neem/pongam/castor/groundnut cake by drilling below the seeds will increase the production.
In areas where a termite problem is common, addition of neem leaf/seed manure at 300 kg/acre along with concentrated manure will be beneficial. To increase the availability of phosphorus, eggshell manure or BD compost can also be used. Application of the required quantity of organic manure and mulching of crop residue not only ensures ready availability of nutrients but also encourages intense microbial activity. High availability of crop biomass encourages the growth of earthworms. Availability of nutrients is ensured by this organic manure-crop biomass-microbial population complex. To hasten microbial population and quick release of different nutrients, the timely application of sanjeevak or amrut pani or jeevamrut is essential. Out of these three, jeevamrut is the most effective. About 500 litres of jeevamrut should be applied per ha to the soil along with the first four irrigations, i.e., after 21, 42, 60 and75 days of sowing. For appropriate growth of the crop, use vermiwash and gomutra as foliar spray at intervals of 7–10 days, from 20 days onward, till grain formation stage. Dilute 1 litre of vermiwash and 1 litre of gomutra in about 200 litres of water and spray per acre.
Water Requirement
Total water requirement of the wheat crop is 450–650 mm, which needs to be provided over the first 100 days of the crop for uniform growth. Flood irrigation with canal or bore well water is a common practice. A minimum of five to six irrigations is necessary for optimum productivity. Under assured irrigated conditions, irrigation is to be provided at intervals of about 10–20 days, starting from the twenty-first day of sowing up to the hundredth day. Under rain-fed and limited water supply conditions, if only one irrigation is available, then provide it at 42 days after sowing. If two irrigation cycles are available, then provide them at 21 and 65 days after sowing and if three irrigations are available, then provide them at 21, 42 and 65 days after sowing
Problems of Pest and diseases
Important insects’ pests of wheat are termites, the Gujhia weevil, cutworms, army worms, thrips, and aphids, shoot flies and stem borers. Among diseases, black, yellow and brown rust, loose smut, kernel bunt, leaf blight and powdery mildew are common.
Biodiversity
Biodiversity is a key component in keeping the pest population below the ETL. Intercropping of mustard and rajgira and crop rotation with bajra-wheat- moong-jowar-wheat
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Legumes-wheat-moong-bajra or jowar + legumes-wheat can effectively check the spread of insect pests.
Jaggery (10 kg/ha) applied along with 500 litres of jeevamrut attracts ants that predate on aphids, thrips and larva. Random planting of maize or installation of about 10–12 bird perches in one ha area attracts birds that predate on the pests.
Managing insects Termites
Termites can damage the crop at any stage of crop growth. The problem is more predominant in rain-fed areas than in irrigate fields. Use of un-decomposed FYM under non-irrigated conditions can also increase the chances of termite attack. Use of neem leaf manure (5 q/ha) or neem seed manure (1 q/ha)in the soil at the time of sowing can prevent termite attack.
The Gujhia weevil
Gujhia weevils attack germinating seedlings, resulting in high mortality of seedlings. Application of neem leaf/seed manure can prevent their attack.
Army worms
Caterpillars feed on the tender parts of the plant during the night and hide during the day. They also damage the leaves and the ear-heads. Spraying neem leaf extract (5 kg neem leaves crushed in boiled water and diluted to 100 litres) can effectively reduce army worms attack.
Brown wheat mite, aphids and jassids
Intercropping of wheat with mustard and safflower (100 gm seed of each mixed with 100 kg wheat at the time of sowing) can effectively check the spread of mites. In case of a severe attack, ferment 15litres of cow urine, 2 kg cow dung and 15 kg crushed neem leaves in100 litres of water for 3–5 days. Filter the solution and use as foliar spray per acre. This solution is safe for natural enemies of pests such as ladybird beetles, etc.
Control of rodents
Rodents can be controlled by inserting a thorny twig of acacia up to1.5 to 2 feet in each rat hole over the entire farm. Bird perches (about 10–12/ha) attract owls at night who will feed on rats. Use of horse gram flour balls mixed with cotton thread or flour mixed with cement powder is very common. Rats readily eat these balls, which results in the blocking of the anus and death. Rats that cannot excrete also get irritated and bite other rats in the hole, forcing them to run away.
DISEASE
Organically grown wheat crops are generally free from disease. But diseases that affect conventional farms can appear occasionally on wheat farms especially during the period of conversion from chemical to organic.
Rusts
Rusts are caused by three different species of the fungi Puccinia
Brown and yellow rusts are particularly important in north-western India. Black rust appears quite late in these areas and normally does not cause substantial damage except in wheat fields sown very late. However, black rust appears in severe form in southern, central and eastern India and can cause significant damage
Brown rust
The small, round oval spots (called pustules) of brown rust (caused by Puccinia recondita tritici) develop mainly on the leaves but under severe attack, appear on the sheath and stem as well. Bright orange spots appear either in small clusters or irregularly scattered; they spread very fast on susceptible varieties during warm and humid climate conditions. In case of severe attack, plants mature early, with poor root development and produce light and shrivelled grains. This rust is most widespread in the country and generally the most damaging to wheat crops in many areas.
Yellow rust
This rust is caused by the fungus, Puccinia strciformis
Yellow spots develop mainly on the leaves, but in case of severe attack, spots can also appear on leaf sheaths, stalks and glumes. The spots are oval in shape and lemon-yellow in colour and are formed in long streaks or rows, and are smaller than those of brown rust. Appearance of lemon-yellow pustules in rows is a characteristic feature of yellow rust. In severe attacks, these rows are not distinct, and a large part of the plant gets covered with crowded pustules. Yellow rust is predominant in the hills, foot-hills and north-western part of the country where temperatures are low. In the plains, it does not cause much damage.
Black rust
Black rust in wheat is caused by Puccinia graminis tritici
The spots occur on the stem, leaf sheath, leaves and ear-heads, but the stem is often the part of the plant that is most severely affected. The spots are reddish-brown in colour and elongated in shape and spread fast under a relatively warm and humid climate. As the crop matures, dark, black, elongated spots are formed. Black rust, though prevalent all over the country, appears in epidemic forms in the southern, central and eastern India, which are characterized by high temperatures in the wheat growing season.
Management of rusts
The most effective method for control of rusts is to use rust-resistant varieties. Biodiversity among wheat cultivars can also effectively check the rust problem. Use 3–4 wheat varieties at a time on each farm. Avoid late sowing or late maturing varieties. To protect the crop from rust infection, spray 5 litres of sour butter milk mixed with 200 litres of water. Amaranth (chaulai or lal bhaji – a common green leaf vegetable) or mentha (Pudina) leaf dust can also be used as a fine spray (25–30 gm dry leaf powder per litre of water) to prevent rust infection. Foliar spray of dry leaf extract of Hibiscus rosa-sinensis (China rose) can also prevent rust infection.
Loose smut
Loose smut is caused by a fungus, Ustilago tritici. Generally, diseased plants are indistinguishable from healthy plants before heading, but diseased plants produce heads earlier than healthy plants. However, diseased plants of Sonalika (RR-21) wheat variety can be detected before ear emergence also from a characteristics streaking and yellowing of the flag leaf which starts drying from the tip and later becomes brownish in colour. Flag leaves of diseased plants of Sonalika variety can easily be seen in the field from a distance. The terminal symptom in all the varieties affected by loose smut is the production of black powder in place of wheat grains in almost every ear of the diseased plant. The black powder is blown to the flowers of healthy plants, infects the mature grain and remains dormant until germination. Infected grains cannot be distinguished superficially from healthy ones. After winnowing these grains, the fungus gets activated and grows inside the seed, initially slowly but later keeping pace with the apex of the growing shoot. Once ear formation starts, there is an accumulation of the fungus in the floral parts, which now get completely destroyed due to the formation of the black powder. The use of resistant varieties is the best option to deal with the disease. Also, as the disease is seed-borne, the use of disease free seed can prevent its occurrence. In case of doubt, treat the seed with 5% vermiwash. For collection of seed for the next crop, visit the field daily to detect early symptoms of disease. Uproot infected plants and burn them before their spores are dispersed. Solar heat treatment of seeds in hot summer areas of plains can kill the pathogen to a great extent. On a bright sunny day in the last week of May or first week of June, soak the seeds in water for about four hours in the morning and then dry them under the hot sun in the afternoon. Store the well-dried seeds for use in the next season. Soaking the seed activates the dormant fungus in the seed and the heat of the sun kills it.
Karnal bunt
Karnal bunt is a common problem in northern India affecting all the commercial varieties of wheat, but the disease is rare in traditional varieties.
The disease is caused by the fungus - Neovossi indica
The disease can be recognized only after the grains have developed. A portion of the grain along its groove is converted into a black powdery mass which gives out a foul smell. In a plant hill, all the ears are not affected and in an ear only a few grains are infected. The disease reduces both the quantity and the quality of wheat. Flour prepared from wheat with more than 3% infected grains smells fishy and is unsafe for consumption. Growing resistant varieties is the best option. Other precautionary and control measures are as follows:
• Avoid planting highly susceptible varieties like HD-2009(Arjun), UP-319, WL-711 and HD-1982 (Janak) in the Terai areas of the Himalayan foothills.
• Use disease-free seeds. Pre-treat the seeds with 5% vermiwash.
• Mix 1 kg mustard flour and 5 litres milk with 100 litres of water and use as a foliar spray.
• Avoid continuous cropping of wheat in the same field.
• Sanitise the field and plough it deep in summer.
• Avoid excessive irrigation particularly during ear formation.
HARVESTING
Harvest the crop when the ears are sufficiently dry and the grains have approximately 15% moisture. Except in some parts of Punjab and Haryana, wheat is harvested manually and threshed by wheat threshers. In some areas, bullocks are also used for threshing. Sometimes cutter wheels are also used for crushing wheat plants and separating the wheat from the chaff. In some parts of Punjab and Haryana, a combined harvester does all these operations in one go. But in this process the recovery of grain is less and the straw gets spread all over the field.
Yield
About 40–50 quintals of wheat can be produced per ha using organic methods, This equals the quantity produced using chemical methods, but in organic farming the same returns are on a continued basis while in the chemical method the yield declines over the years.
STORAGE
Mix 0.5% strong pepper powder in the wheat to protect it from beetles. Cow dung or 2 % neem powder protects the stored wheat from grubs and other pests.
NEW CHALLENGESAND METHODS
Wheat varieties Raju 1555, HD 4502 (Malvika) and MACS 28 & 6 are the new export-oriented varieties that are much in demand in the market. Bansi, Bakshi, etc., varieties yield /tough grain with 11–15% protein, which is in high demand for bakery products
