What is the wheat yield per 1 hectare and what does it depend on?

In Soviet times, during the “battle for the harvest,” reports were transmitted every day from the fields, where and how many centners of wheat were harvested per hectare. Nowadays, such reports are published in the media much less often. Still, farmers and people associated with agriculture will find this information extremely useful.

From the article you will learn what the real wheat yield is hidden behind the dry statistical figures.

What is the wheat yield per hectare

The yield of any grain crop is calculated on average - by household, by district, by region, by country. Moreover, until 1986, sown areas were taken into account, and after that only harvested areas were taken into account.

On a note! The yield of a particular wheat variety per hectare is determined only on experimental farms.

The current system gives more realistic figures. For example, if 100 hectares were sown, and 80 hectares were harvested for various reasons, then when calculating the average, the unharvested 20 hectares do not reduce the average yield per hectare.

Averages

Averages should be treated with caution. Reasoning of the average person: 10 centners per hectare is very bad, 30-40 is acceptable, 50-90 - wow, cool!

But what about these statistics (for 2017): Ireland is in first place in terms of yield indicators - 95.4 c/ha, and in Russia in the same year - 27.2 c/ha? In this case, the assessment must take into account the size of the country and the diversity of climatic zones.

Thus, in 2018, among the 10 main grain producing regions in Russia, the Krasnodar Territory took first place (61.5 c/ha), the second place was taken by the Kursk region (44.5 c/ha), and the third place was taken by the Oryol region (40.8 c/ha). /ha), and the Omsk region closes the top ten (16.3 c/ha).

On a note! In the Altai Territory in 2016, with an average yield of 11.2 c/ha, the Goodwill agricultural company harvested 80 c/ha.

Yield record

Ireland set an absolute yield record in 2015 - 106.7 c/ha. And on personal farms in the same year, the English farmer reached a record of 165.2 c/ha.

In the regions of Russia, record figures are 80 and 100 c/ha.

What does this indicator depend on?

What does the wheat yield indicator depend on and why the average data should be taken critically

There are many factors to consider, here are the main ones::

• winter or spring wheat;
• hard or soft;
• growing region;
• climatic and weather conditions;
• soil composition;
• growing technology;
• crop rotation;
• cleaning technology harvest.

A thousand grains of spring soft wheat weigh 30-40 g, and the same amount of spring durum - 40-55 g.

Wheat varieties

New varieties of wheat are constantly being developed, and increasing yield is not always the main priority in breeding work. The technical note for the variety always indicates the ideal yield (this is how much wheat yielded in research fields under ideal conditions) and what you can realistically count on.

Wherein it is important to consider the regionalization of varieties. For example, if you sow seeds of a super-yielding variety from New Zealand in Yakutia, you should not expect them to produce a record harvest.

Climatic and weather conditions

Wheat yields are, firstly, influenced by climatic conditions, which are relatively constant (although there is a lot of talk about climate change now, but this is a long process). Taking this factor into account, new varieties are developed and existing varieties are zoned.

Secondly, weather conditions. There is no change from year to year, and ideal weather rarely happens: sometimes there are recurrent frosts, sometimes there is drought, sometimes, on the contrary, it rains without stopping. These factors are what breeders who create new varieties, as well as agricultural technicians and agricultural engineers who develop strategies and tactics for field work, are called upon to cope with.

The soil

The main share of wheat yield depends on the quality indicators of the soil. The soil must be nourished with substances beneficial to plants.

Thoughtless emasculation and excessive use of mineral fertilizers kill living soil, and she will give birth less and less. This problem has already acquired a global scale.

The number of stems depends on the quality of the soilwhich one grain can produce. The more stems, the more ears and the higher the yield.

Important! When talking about how many centners were collected per hectare, it is worth considering how much was sown. This is the only way to determine the real yield of any crop.

Revitalizing the soil can improve the situation by introducing various organic matter into it.

Compliance with crop rotation rules

Proper crop rotation can increase yields, and its non-compliance will be downgraded. In particular, the influence of predecessors must be taken into account.

Good predecessors for wheat:

• black fallow (after which you can sow wheat in the same field for two years in a row);
• corn for silage (not on the cob);
• annual herbs;
• perennial herbs;
• leguminous crops.

Weeds are dangerous for wheat, which choke it, starting from the sprout stage, and do not allow it to grow.Horsetails, thistles and creeping wheatgrass are considered especially harmful.

By the way! Modern short-stemmed (intensive) varieties suppress weeds the most.

So, 10 shoots of creeping wheatgrass per 1 sq. m fields reduce productivity spring wheat on average by 29%, 26 shoots - by 49%, from 60 - to 75%.

Correct growing technology

The final result depends on:

• how the field was prepared and plowed;
• what time was it sown;
• was it fed on time?
• whether they were treated against weeds and pests;
• Did they delay cleaning?

Features of harvesting

You can lose the harvest even at the harvesting stage. It is important to do this on time - when the grain is already ripe, but the ear has not yet had time to lie down.

High-quality cleaning depends on technology — new combines are able to mow even light grain without loss. And also from the skill of the combine operators.

Differences in the yield of spring and winter wheat

Winter and spring wheat differ in yield: in winter the indicators are higher, and in winter - lower. This is due to the physiological characteristics of these crops.

The output yield of winter crops can be several times greater than that of spring crops., but it is more demanding on soil and climatic conditions. In reality, most often the winter yield is 15-20% higher than that of the spring one. This is provided that she survives the winter without losses.

How to increase wheat yield

So, there are several ways to increase wheat yield:

• grow suitable zoned varieties;
• choose varieties that are more productive and resistant to weather conditions, diseases and pests;
• follow agricultural practices;
• take into account weather conditions;
• monitor compliance with crop rotation;
• use reliable technology.

Conclusion

Wheat is the main cereal grain in Russia and most other countries.The well-being of the entire population depends on its stable yield. For this reason, breeders do not stop working to collect more grain from the same areas of arable land.