When you are in the field looking at your crop, check it initially by running down the eyeball checklist (page 12). After your first attempt you will be able to do the eyeball check automatically. That check should provide you with enough information about the crop to use the following four check lists which deal with successive crop stages. The checklists will guide you to detailed descriptions of the problems and their solutions.
Is the young crop stand poor?
Problem where? |
What you see |
What may be wrong |
see page |
|
|
|
|
In whole crop |
Emerged leaves look weak |
seed planted was old |
39 |
|
- with poor colour |
seed planted too deep |
40 |
|
|
seedlings are diseased |
76 |
|
|
herbicide damage |
60 |
|
|
high soil temperature |
27, 42 |
|
|
too little water at sowing |
35 |
|
|
|
|
In patches |
unemerged seedlings bent |
soil crusted |
37 |
|
uneven emergence |
water stress |
41 |
|
|
seed depth not uniform |
40 |
|
|
|
|
|
emerged leaves look weak |
poor soil preparation |
38 |
|
|
residues incorporated unevenly |
62 |
|
|
waterlogging |
68 |
|
|
insects |
70 |
|
|
diseases |
76 |
|
|
|
|
|
emerged leaves look normal |
low seeding rate |
42 |
|
- but too few plants |
some seeds were dead |
39 |
|
|
weeds are dominant |
59 |
|
|
birds removed seedlings |
40 |
|
|
Insects removed seeds |
70 |
Browse p 35-42 for general information about this stage |
Is crop ground cover low?
Are there too
few shoots?
Are there too few spikes?
Problem where? |
What you see |
What may be wrong |
See page |
|
|
|
|
In whole crop |
thin canopy |
seed planted too deep |
40 |
|
|
low seeding rate |
42 |
|
|
too little water |
66 |
|
|
poor nutrition |
51 |
|
|
low radiation and high temperature |
29 |
|
|
frost |
26 |
|
|
|
|
In patches |
thin canopy |
diseases |
73 |
|
|
insects |
70 |
|
|
weeds are dominant |
59 |
|
|
waterlogging |
68 |
Does the crop not look healthy?
Problem where? |
What you see |
What may be wrong |
See page |
|
|
|
|
In whole crop |
lighter coloured band |
frost |
25 |
|
banding on spikes |
frost |
25 |
|
wilted leaves |
too little water |
66 |
|
leaves look unhealthy |
poor nutrition |
51 |
|
too many older leaves dead |
saline soil or salty water |
33 |
|
|
frost |
26 |
|
|
|
|
In patches |
leaves look diseased |
diseases |
75 |
|
leaves took diseased |
poor nutrition |
51 |
|
plants or leaves are |
insects |
70 |
|
older leaves have yellow tips |
waterlogging |
68 |
|
crop stems bent, plants lying down |
lodging, foot rots |
49 |
Browse pages 43-46 for general information about this stage |
Do the spikes look abnormal? Is kernel number low?
What you see |
What may be wrong |
see page |
|
|
|
Few small spikes, spikelets at tip |
water stress |
64 |
|
|
|
band on spikes with empty spikelets |
frost |
25 |
|
|
|
dark spikes with no grain |
low temperatures |
25 |
|
|
|
florets gaping open with shrivelled anthers |
frost |
25 |
|
boron deficit on alkaline soil |
30 |
|
|
|
few grain number per spikelet |
low radiation and high temperature |
29 |
|
nutrient deficit |
51 |
empty spikelets randomly within spike |
boron deficit on alkaline soil |
30 |
|
|
|
|
birds |
|
patches of damaged spikes |
diseases |
78 |
|
insects |
70 |
Are kernels small or shrivelled?
What you see |
What may be wrong |
see page |
|
|
|
small kernels |
water stress |
64 |
|
high temperature, winds |
27 |
|
lodged crop |
49 |
|
frost |
25 |
|
|
|
too few green leaves (check pages 46-49) |
water stress |
64 |
|
late nutrient deficit |
51 |
|
diseases |
78 |
|
insects |
70 |