Wheat and barley enter critical growth stages as harvest season approaches

Special

With the approach of the harvest season, the wheat and barley crops are entering critical and final stages of growth, as the month of April is a decisive station to determine the production yield in the unit area in Al-Hasakah governorate, where  the area cultivated with wheat and barley  is  about 750 thousand hectares distributed over various areas of agricultural stability.

Continuous Follow-up

Regarding the technical status of the wheat crop in Al-Hasakah province during this period, Engineer Ezz Al-Din Al-Hasso, Assistant Director of Agriculture, explained to Syria News that the crop is currently going through critical and final stages of growth, as it witnesses the stage of expelling the spikes (the appearance of the spike from the sheath of the flag leaf) and flowering, reaching the stage of maturity of the grains, which begins with physiological maturity and ends with full maturity, where the grains are filled with starch.

Al-Hasso explained that the month of April is a crucial month to determine the level of productivity, as plants need regular irrigation and fertilization, with the need to protect against fungal diseases such as echoes (yellow, orange and black).

He stressed that the crop requires moderate temperatures and spring rains in this period to promote the growth of ears and increase the specific weight of grains, pointing out that the appropriate weather conditions in this month help to succeed in the last stages of growth and increase the productivity of the crop.

Al-Hasso stressed the importance of regular irrigation and not to get thirsty during this stage, with the need to stop irrigation when it approaches full maturity to avoid the occurrence of dormancy , calling for periodic monitoring of the crop to detect aphid and echo infestations, which appear on the surface and back of the leaves in the form of scattered pustules, and may extend when the infestation infestations are severe to include the stem and ears.

He stressed that when the disease is detected, immediate intervention should be made by spraying using the designated pesticides, while adhering to all the technical requirements necessary to conduct the chemical control process.

Tips and Guidelines for Barley Farmers

As for the technical condition of the barley crop, Al-Hasso explained that during this period, the crop entered the final and critical stages of growth, specifically the maturity stage (from milky to pastic), where it begins to form grains, and the color of the plant turns to light yellow, while its leaves dry out and the grains become harder.

Al-Hasso stressed the need to stop irrigating the fields during this month, with the possibility of giving a final irrigation depending on the condition of the soil and the prevailing weather conditions. He stressed the importance of monitoring the vital signs of the crop, such as the yellowing of the spike neck and the hardening of the grains, in order to prepare for the harvest process and avoid delaying it, which may lead to the breakdown of the grains.

He also pointed out that the high temperatures and drought during this period may negatively affect the fullness and quality of grains, which calls for careful monitoring of the fields to ensure the best possible productivity.

Al-Hasakah cultivation: the yield is good

Al-Hasso concluded that the growth of wheat and barley crops in the governorate is good in various agricultural areas, explaining that the general condition of the two crops, whether irrigated or irrigated, looks positive after the heavy rainfall this season.

He pointed out that the two crops are currently in the stages of elongation and expansion, and that the continued impact of the region by atmospheric depressions during the current month and the accompanying spring rains will enhance the reality of germination and the formation of spikes.

Al-Hasso indicated that the infections recorded with the plantworm in the fields came sporadically and did not reach the level of the economic threshold, as the infections in the current agricultural season are almost negligible compared to the total area cultivated with wheat and barley, as the infected area does not exceed about 200 hectares, scattered in some agricultural areas in Tal Brak, Amuda and Qamishli, north of Al-Hasakah.

Al-Hasso called on farmers in the areas of Al-Shaddadi and Abu Rasin to speed up the spraying of appropriate pesticides in wheat and barley fields, after recording limited cases of rust disease.

He explained that the recent weather conditions have contributed to the appearance of minor yellow and orange rust infestations on small areas of fields in the two regions, stressing the need to use pesticides containing pharmaceutical mixtures of the "Citer, Bilorin" and "Triazole" groups to limit the spread of the disease and ensure the safety of the crop.

Khalil Aqtini