In the process of wheat ripening, several stages of its development are distinguished. They are called milk and wax ripeness and end with ripening. Each stage has its own characteristics, which our article will help determine.

How to determine maturity

Milk stage of wheat development - This is the initial phase of grain formation. This period lasts about two weeks, the grain reaches its maximum value, but it is still juicy - humidity is up to 60%. At this stage, the lower leaves begin to turn yellow at the ear.

Then comes the ripening period - these are the stages of wax and full ripeness. In these ripening days, the grain loses moisture (from 80% to 8% or its total loss) and hardens, accumulating dry matter.

Did you know? The Swiss Museum houses the oldest bread sample: Scientists claim that it was baked more than 6 thousand years ago in the Stone Age. He was found in the late 50s of the last century in Lake Zurich.

Wax phase reduces grain moisture up to 20–40%. In these 5–9 days, wheat resembles wax. The grain and the stalk turn yellow, nutrients from the ear cease to flow, but the plant still retains plasticity. At this stage, the grains do not fall out of the ear, although the plant has acquired the appearance of a fully ripe.

At full maturity (6-8 days) wheat completely loses moisture up to 8-14%, hardens and dies from the ear and, if it is not removed during the time, begins to crumble.

Wheat moisture when harvesting

When the cereal enters the ripening phase, they traditionally begin to harvest it.

Each grain formation period has its own structure and grain moisture level.. Actually, humidity is the main criterion for determining the maturity of cereals: as mentioned above, to full ripeness, it reaches 10%, and maybe even zero.

Did you know? The most developed and largest states of the world formed along the Tiber, Nile and Euphrates rivers, where the highest wheat crops were harvested: in these areas the soil was so fertile due to silt that the ears grew to 4 m! Thirty times the harvest was considered bad, because they used to collect hundred times.

Precisely the moisture in the grain can be determined in the laboratory. It is placed in an eosin solution for 3 hours, and it turns red - the degree of maturity is determined by the color intensity.

When wheat is harvested from the fields

Grain harvesting begins in June - July and is due primarily to weather conditions. In the Southern and Central, Volga and North Caucasian districts, harvesting works take place earlier. Behind them start the North-Western regions, Siberia and the Far East.

Important! Under good conditions, wheat can be stored for up to 4 years, and grain intended for sowing, — up to 14 months.

Winter

Winter wheat varieties ripen earlier, therefore, they are harvested earlier, but only upon reaching the full maturity phase. In the South and East of Russia, harvesting can begin in June, if the spring and summer were very warm. Behind them, the suffering begins in other areas and can stretch to the first of August - here everything is decided by climatic conditions.

Spring

This wheat culture matures 10-16 days later than winter; accordingly, they can harvest from the end of June to the end of August. The first work begins in the southern regions, and ends in the northern.

Harvest Methods

For the successful implementation of harvesting, it is necessary to calculate the required number of equipment and experienced workers, to make a schedule. Optimum periods of suffering - up to 4 days, so that the grain does not have time to overripe and spill outotherwise crop losses can reach 60%.

It is no secret that modern combines are used to harvest grain. They carry out three main harvesting operations - reaping, threshing, winnowing. Mowing the ears, the combine sends them to the threshing compartment. There, the ears are crushed, and grain is milled from them. Then it is cleaned of debris through the screener. Further in the combine, the waste (straw, floor, etc.) goes into a special chamber for utruses and is thrown into the field, and the grain goes into the compartment through which it is loaded into machines transporting wheat to the grain crop.

An important condition for obtaining a decent wheat crop is the ability to accurately determine the degree of maturity of the grain and wisely use the weather conditions.

Rules for processing and storage of crops

No less important than harvesting is preserving the crop. To prevent wheat from losing its quality, it is necessary to maintain an optimum temperature of +5 ... + 8 ° C and humidity at the level of 65–70% in the granary. In addition, the cereal should be shoveled from time to time to avoid debate and heat. During storage, temperature (even up to + 11 ° C) and humidity, as well as hardening, must not be allowed, since the grain can rot or rot.

Important! One of the main tasks of grain storage can be called maintaining the weight and quality of wheat.

By the time the grain is laid, the warehouse must be disinfected to prevent the development of fungi, etc., which will entail a loss of cereal quality.

In the process of harvesting wheat, the most important criteria remain the speed and timeliness of all ongoing work, up to and including bookmarking for storage. Procrastination can entail great damage.