WHEAT

(IRRIGATED)

Botanical name: Triticum aestivum L

Family: Gramineae

Origin: Center of origin is South Western Asia. It is believed that

Aryans brought wheat grains to India, since then it has
been cultivated in India.

1) Triticum aestivum Vill. (Irrigated) known as common bread or chapatti

wheat. It is good for making chapati and bakery products. It is cultivated
throughout India. (GW 503, GW 190, GW 173, GW 496 and Lok 1).

2) Triticum durum desf. (Unirrigated) known as macaroni or durum wheat

grown under rainfed conditions in Central and South India. It is used in
Suji, Rawa, ladu, Sama, Macroni (sev) and bhakhari making. In Gujarat, it
is grown in Bhal region. The seeds are bold and lighte. This wheat is also
known as Bhalia or Katha. (GW 1 and A 206).

3) Triticum dicoccum L. grown in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh,

Maharashtra, Saurashtra region and Dantiwada zone (Sabarkantha,
Banaskantha, Mehsana, Ahmedabad and Kutch) of Gujarat in small
pockets and it contributes about 1 per cent of wheat production. In
Gujarat, it is grown only in few hundred hectares on the seashore belt of
Saurashtra starting from Porbandar to Jamkhambhalia. It is good for
South Indian dish “ Uppama ".

Area and distribution

The important wheat growing countries are China, USA, India, and
France. In the world, wheat is cultivated in an area of about 239 million hectares
with a total production of 425.5 million tonnes of grains. India ranks fourth in
respect of area and production both.

In India, wheat is grown over an area of 23.61 million hectares with total
production of 44.25 million tonnes of grains annually. In terms of area, wheat
ranks only next to sorghum and pearl millet but in respect of production, wheat
stands first among all cereal crops.

The cultivation of wheat in India is confined mainly to the states of Uttar

Pradesh, Madya Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Bihar, Maharashtra, and
Gujarat. Among all the states, Uttar Pradesh contributes maximum acreage and
production; however, Punjab stands first with respect to average productivity
followed by Haryana.

In Gujarat, wheat is grown in about 6 to 7 lakh hectares, of which irrigated

wheat contributes about 75 to 80 per cent and remaining 20 to 25 per cent area
is under rain fed cultivation. In the year 1997-98, it was cultivated in an area of
6.94 lakh hectares with a production of 16.47 lakh tonnes of grains. Irrigated
wheat is mostly grown in Mehsana, Banaskantha, Sabarkantha, Kheda and
Saurashtra region, while unirrigated wheat is grown in about 1.5 lakh hectares
with total production of 80 thousand tonnes and it is mostly grown in Bhal region
consisting of some parts of Kheda, Ahmedabad, Bhavnagar and Surendranagar
districts.

Economic important

A turning point came in the history of wheat in 1965 with introduction of

dwarf, photo insensitive, high yielding Mexican wheat breeding materials
developed by "Dr.N.E.Borlaug ". In 1970, triple dwarf varieties were released in
India. In India, Wheat is second important staple food crop after rice. Wheat
grain flour is used in form of chapati, puri, bread, cake, sweetmeats, halwa, etc. It
provides 20 per cent of total calories for human race. Wheat grain contains 12.2
per cent protein, which is more than other cereals. Wheat provides characteristic
substance " Gluten " which is very essential for bakers. In bakery, gluten
provides the structural framework for the familiar spongy, cellular texture of bread
and other bakery products. Flours of other cereals are lacking gluten and hence
not good for bread making. Wheat straw is also a good source of feed for a large
population of cattle in our country. Straw is also used in paper industries and for
making temporary huts and roof. The bran, husk and other portion of grain and
straw are valuable feed for livestock. Wheat straw is also a good source of
bedding material for livestock. The ripe unthreshed earheads are used to make
decorative items.

Climatic requirements

Wheat crop has wide adaptability. It can be grown not only in the tropical
and sub-tropical zone but also in the temperate zone. Dry and cool weather is
most suitable for this crop. The optimum temperature required for ideal
germination of the wheat crop ranges from 20 to 25 º C. Rains received
immediately after sowing, hamper germination and encourage seedling blight,
while high humidity and low temperature is conducive for rust attack.
Soil requirements

Wheat does best on well-drained fertile, clay loam, loam to medium black
soils. Heavy soils with poor drainage is not suitable because wheat is sensitive to
water logging. Soil should be neutral in reaction.

Land Preparation

Wheat requires a well pulverized but compact seedbed for good and
uniform germination. In case of irrigated wheat, pre-sowing irrigation should be
given after harvesting of the kharif crop and field should be prepared at Vapsa
conditions by carrying out two ploughing followed by one harrowing and planking.
Stubbles, rootlets, weeds etc are removed from the field and three blades
harrowing should be done.

Time of sowing

Time of sowing is one of the important aspects for obtaining good yield of
wheat. It depends mostly on soil temperature, irrigation facilities and duration of
the varieties.

Sr. Time of sowing Varieties Seed Yield Year of

No. recommended rate (q/ha) release
(kg/ha)
1 Early sowing (1st week of J-1-7, Raj- 150 30 1985
Nov.) 1555, GW-89
2 Timely sowing (10-15 Nov.) Kalyansona
Lok-1 125- 40 1978
130
WH-147 120 40 1978
Raj-1555 150 30 1985
GW-496 125 45 1989
GW-503 135 45 1989
GW-190 100 48 1993
GW-273 125 50 1997
GW-89
3 Late sowing (25 Nov. to 15 Lok-1 150- 30 1979
Dec.) 160
GW-120 125 35 1985
GW-173 150 40 1983
GW-405 125 35 1985
Sonalika 100
GW-40 100
 In late sowing, only short duration varieties should be grown because of
comparatively less reduction in their yields as compared to medium and late
duration wheat varieties.
Method of sowing

By seed drill. Depth of sowing is a critical for dwarf wheat, because

Coleoptile is short in length and hence dwarf wheat should not be sown deeper
than 4 to 5 cm in the soil, other wise emergence become poor.

Spacing

Generally, sowing is done at 23 cm row spacing in north Gujarat on sandy

or Goradu soils. Wheat sown at 23 cm apart in cross manner in dry soil and than
irrigated also gives good germination and higher yield.

Seed rate

Normally seed rate is depends on the size or weight of seeds. Less seed
rate is require, if the seed size is small.

1) Small seeded varieties like J-1-7, Kalyansona and GW-40 requires low
seed rate of 100 kg seeds/ha.
2) Bold seeded varieties like J 24, J 18, Sonalika, Lok 1 etc. require 125 kg
seeds/ha.
3) Seed rate should be kept 25 per cent higher than recommended seed rate
under late sown conditions.

Seed treatment

Seeds should be treated with fungicides like Captan or Thiram @ 3 g per

kg of seeds for controlling soil borne diseases like root rot and seedling rot.

In areas having light, sandy and Goradu soils where termite is a serious
problem, the seeds should be treated with Endosulphan (700 ml for 100 kg
seeds) or Chlorpyriphos (450 ml for 100 kg seeds) in 5 l of water. Treatment
should be given at previous night and treated seeds should be dried over night
period and used for sowing in next day morning. If seed treatment is not possible
before sowing, Heptachlor 1.250 l/ha should be applied drop by drop with
irrigation water or other-wise Endosulphan 0.8 kg a.i./ha + 5 liters of water + 100
kg sand should be mixed thoroughly and broadcasted in the standing crop but
irrigation must be applied earlier or should be applied lightly after its application.
Manures and fertilizers

Well decomposed FYM @ 25 QTL per hectare should be applied and

incorporated in the soil at the time of field preparation.

N kg/ha P2O5 kg/ha K2O Stage of

kg/ha application
120 60 0
60 60 0 Basal
60 0 0 20-25 DAS

Urea fertilizer should not be used for basal application of nitrogen because
N is easily dissolved in water and leach down in the soil. In sandy and well-
drained soils, nitrogen can be applied in two splits, half (30 kg N) at first irrigation
and second half at second irrigation.
In intensive cropping, taking more than one crop in the same field may
result in deficiency of Zinc. To over come from this deficiency, 25 kg ZnSO4/ha
should be applied at every three years interval. Zinc can also be applied in
standing crop.

In salt affected soils, Calcium @ 1.25 tonnes/ha should be applied at

every two to three years interval in form of gypsum to improve the soil structure.

Organic fertilizer increases availability of nutrients besides improving soil

fertility. Well decomposed FYM or compost @ 10 to 12.5 tonnes/ha should be
applied at the time of preparation of land.

Varieties GW 273 and GW 190 are more responsive to fertilizers even

beyond recommended dose of fertilizers.

Irrigation

Irrigation should be given at the following critical growth stages. Additional

irrigations are also given according to soil and climatic conditions.

Irrigation schedule

In North and Middle Gujarat, wheat crop requires 8 irrigations, first

irrigation should be given at CRI stage, second at 12-13 days of sowing and
subsequent irrigations should be given at 8 to 10 days interval.
 The information on critical growth stages and their effect on yield are given
below, if irrigation is not applied at the critical stage.

Sr.N Criticaal growth stage DAS Reduction yield if

o irrigation is not
given (%)
0 Pre-sowing - -
1 CRI 18-21 35
2 Tillering 35-40 20
3 Jointing 50-55 20
4 Boot stage 65 25
5 Milk stage 75-80 17
6 Dough stage 90-95 10

Under limited water supply conditions

1) If one irrigation is possible, it should be given at 21 DAS (CRI)

2) If two irrigations are possible, they should be given, first at 21 DAS
(CRI) and second at 65-70 DAS (Flowering stage).
3) If three irrigation are possible, they should be given at CRI, Jointing and
Flowering stages.
4) If four irrigation are possible, they should be given at CRI, Tillering,
Flowering and Milking stages.
5) If five irrigation are possible, they should be given at CRI, Tillering,
Jointing or boot, Flowering and Milking stages.

In Saurashtra region having medium black soil, variety Lok 1 requires 10

irrigations each of 50 mm water depth. First irrigation before sowing, second at 7
DAS and subsequent 8 irrigations should be given at 8-10 days interval.

In South Gujarat, Lok 1 variety grown in paddy field, requires 7 irrigations

each of 60 mm water depth, first irrigation is given just after sowing, second
irrigation at 21 DAS (CRI) and subsequent irrigations should be given at 12-13
day’s interval.

Use of sprinkler helps in saving of water up to 31 per cent and increases

18 per cent profit over traditional method of irrigation. Sprinklers should be
installed 12 m wide and run for 2.30 hours at 15 days interval up to the end of
January and than at 10 days interval in the months of February and March

Interculturing and weeding

In wheat field, common weeds are Chenopodium album L. And Cyperus

rotundus L. Wheat crop should be kept absolutely free from weeds at least up to
45 days of sowing. For this purpose, one hand weeding is done after 3 to 4
weeks of sowing. However, now a days, this operation becomes difficult (costly)
due to hike in labour charges and unavailability of sufficient labour in time. The
only way to control weeds effectively is to use selective herbicide like
Pendimethalin @ 0.5 to 1.0 kg/ha in 600 l of water as pre-emergence. If spray is
delayed, emergence of seeds adversely affected. If it is not possible to apply
weedicide at the time of sowing, 2-4-D sodium salt @ 960 g/ha in north Gujarat
or 750 g/ha in Middle Gujarat in 600 l of water should also be sprayed at about
30 to 35 DAS. Care should be taken that 2-4-D should be sprayed in between the
time of two irrigations in between rows only.

Harvesting

The crop is harvested when grains become hard, straw become golden
yellow, dry and brittle. The plants are harvested manually with the help of sickle
early in the morning. Harvested plants are tied into bundles and then carry to
threshing floor for heaping. The grain is generally threshed by trampling under
the bullock feet on threshing floor or by wheat thresher. Clean grains should be
dried for 7 to 8 days under open sunlight to reduce moisture content upto 10-12
per cent for safe storage.

Research Station Main - Vijapur (Mehsana)

Sub - Junagadh and Bardoli

Yield 2600 kg/ha in Gujarat

4500 - 5500 kg/ha under good management.

WHEAT (DRY)

Botanical Name: Triticum duram desf.

It is known as macaroni or durum wheat, grown in central and south India

under rain fed conditions with production of 11-12 percent. It is used in Suji,
Rawa (medo), ladu, Semya, Macaroni (sev) and Bhakhari making. Durum is the
important species for rainfed condition

Introduction

In Gujarat, cultivation of dry wheat is mainly concentrated in Bhal area

comprising the parts of Ahmedabad, Bhavnagar, Kheda and Surendranagar
districts and it is also grown in Vagra, Jambusar and Amod talukas of Bharuch
district and in Ghed area of Porbandar district. The dry wheat cultivated in an
area of about 0.95 lakh hectare with an annual production of 0.48 lakh tonnes.
The land of Bhal area is leveled and low lying black and shallow soils. During
monsoon season, the fields remain submerged with rainwater that caused salt
accumulation in upper layer of soil and hence soils become sticky. Under such
circumstances, most of the fields remain fallow during kharif season. Frequent
harrowing is carried out for removing weeds and conserving maximum moisture
in the soil during fallow conditions of the land.

Land preparation

Dry wheat requires friable seedbed for better germination and good
growth of the crop. After complete drying of accumulated rainwater from the
fields and when soil comes at vapsa conditions, the land is prepared by giving
two to three harrowing. Harrowing should be done in Swati Nakshtra or in
second fortnight of October. This operation helps in removing weeds and
conserving more moisture in the soil.

Time of sowing

Second fortnight of October to first fortnight of November is the optimum

time of sowing which depend on moisture conserved in soil and soil temperature.

Method of sowing

By drill method, seeds should be drilled about 5 to7 cm deep in moist soil
layer.

Seed rate

60 kg/ha

Seed treatment

Seeds should be treated with Thiram or Captan @ 3 to 4 g per kg of

seeds before sowing.
Spacing

Seeds should be sown in rows 30 cm apart.

Manures and fertilizers

20 + 15 + 0 N P K kg/ha

Total quantity of N and P should be applied as basal in the soil. N is not

applied as top dressing for dry wheat In Bhal area, it is recommended to apply
gypsum as soil amendment @ 1.0 tone/ha at about 10 cm deep in soil once in
four years before onset of monsoon. F.Y.M. can also be used for this purpose.
Interculturing and Weeding

To keep the crop weed free, one or two interculturing should be done at
30 days interval after sowing. One or two hand weeding should be done as and
when require.

Irrigation

Generally, in Bhal area, wheat is grown as unirrigated crop and not

requires any irrigation. Ground water is harmful to the crop because it is saline.
However, if rainwater is collected in farm pond, one irrigation should be given at
maximum tillering stage i.e. about 30 to 35 days after sowing which give 30 to 40
per cent more yield.

Plant Protection

Pest (1) Grass hopper, (2) Stem borer, (3) Ear head warm (Heliothis), (4)
Termite etc.

Diseases: (1) Rust

Yield: 1000 to 1500 kg/ha.

Research Station: Main:Arnej (Main)

Sub:Dhandhuka
Varieties:

Sr. Variety Seed rate (kg/ha) Yield (q/ha) Releas

No e year
.
1 A-28 - - -
2 A-206 50 11 1954
3 GW-1 60 13 1978
4 GW-2 50 12.50 1980
5 GW-1139 150 44 1999
(irrigated duram)
6 Raj-1555 150 30 1985
(irrigated duram)

Low cost technologies for increasing productivity of wheat

1) Timely sowing of wheat (10-25 Nov) gives more yields, as the winter is
short with less cold as compared to Punjab, Haryana.
2) Early sowing (last week of Octo) or late sowing (second week of Dec)
decreases 20 per cent yield. Hence, avoid early or late sowing of wheat.

3) Some varieties withstand high temperature in the months of February and

March during dough stage, while some not withstand resulted in wrinkled
seeds. Select varieties Lok 1, GW 496, GW 503, GW 147, Raj 1555, GW
190 and GW 273 for timely sowing and varieties Lok 1, GW 120, GW 405,
GW 173 for late sowing. GW 173 is best suitable for late sowing.
4) Seeds should be sown with seed drill and avoid broadcasting method. In
broadcasting method, seed is required more and seeds which not come
into contact with soil and moisture may failed to germinate ultimately gives
less plant stands.
5) For efficient use of applied fertilizers, it should be drilled in furrows and the
seeds should be sown on the same furrows.
6) Use only certified seeds and it should not continue more than 2 to 3 years.
7) Use diseases resistant varieties.

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