Production Technology of Wheat

Wheat is a cereal crop which is grown in Bangladesh by following rice-wheat crop rotation. The yield of wheat varies with the technology which are followed for growing wheat. The yield of wheat can be got maximum by practicing proper production technology of wheat. The wheat production technology is given below:

What type of land and soil is suitable for wheat?

Wheat can grow in high and medium high land. It can also grow in medium low land if the water move away before November. Land should be well drained for wheat cultivation. Generally wheat can grows well in loam, sandy loam and clay loam soils.

What is seed rate of wheat?

For the production of wheat, 120 kg/ha seed is recommended. But it is wise to use 15-20 kg more seed for large seeded variety.
What is the process of seed treatment of wheat?
For the production of wheat, seeds must be treated with fungicide like Provax -200, Autostin or others @3g per kg seed to get better yield. Seed treatment increases plant population by 20-25% and grain yield by 10-12%.

When is the proper sowing time of wheat?

Wheat seeds should be sown within 15-30 November. The yield rate will decrease with the advancement of time after November.
How is the land prepared for wheat cultivation?
The land should be well pulverized for wheat cultivation. Wheat needs compact seedbed for good and uniform germination. Three or four ploughings should be done followed by laddering. The land should be levelled well which helps to get uniform plant height.

What is the proper sowing method for wheat?

Wheat seeds can be sown in two ways. One is broadcasting and another is line sowing. Although broadcasting is easier and less time required than line sowing, line sowing should be done for easy intercultural operations and better yield. A row spacing of 15-22.5 cm should be followed for line sowing under irrigated conditions for timely sown wheat. But the optimum row to row distance is 22.5 cm.

How much manures and fertilizers required for wheat?

2-3 tons farm yard manure should be applied per hectare of land for wheat cultivation. Besides this, urea, TSP, MoP, Gypsum and boric acid should be applied @ 220, 150, 100, 100, 6-7 kg per hectare, respectively. Two-third of urea and all other fertilizers should be incorporated with soil at the time of final land preparation and the rest one-third of urea should be top dressed at the time of first irrigation. Liming should be done in case of acidic soil at the rate of 1 ton per hectare once in three years cycle. Lime should be mixed with soil before 1-2 weeks of sowing seed.

What is the time of irrigation in wheat?

The number of irrigations for wheat cultivation depends on the soil moisture condition. But two or three irrigations are optimum for getting better yield. Generally, first irrigation is done at 17-21 days after sowing. But the first irrigation should be done at 15 DAS in case of very dry soil. The first irrigation can also be delayed if the soil contain enough moisture. The second and third irrigations should be applied at maximum tillering stage and early stage of grain filling, respectively. The first and third irrigation should be light to avoid seedling damage and plant lodging, respectively.

What types of intercultural Operations are done in wheat?

Weeding should be done at 25-30 days after sowing for getting better yield. Weeds can be controlled after first irrigation by hand weeding. Weeds can also be controlled by applying herbicides viz. 2, 4-D amine, Affinity or Fielder at the rate of 35 ml in 10 L water. Herbicides must be applied between 25-30 DAS before first irrigation.

What are the pest and diseases in wheat?

Some pests and diseases are found in wheat. The major pests are bird and rat and the diseases are leaf blight and leaf rust. Proper measures should be taken after observing the pests and diseases of wheat as and when necessary.

How harvesting and seed preservation are done and when?

Harvesting of wheat should be done at full maturity stage in a sunny day. Generally wheat is harvested by hand. After harvesting, wheat should be threshed by paddle thresher of power thresher to collect all the wheat from panicle easily. Seeds should be dried in sun.