W2 - Lecture 2B - Cereal Growth Stages

Each is a determinate plant

i.e. the shoot apex becomes an inflorescence and the change from vegetative to floral determines the number of leaves on the main stem and tillers.

• day length • variety • vernalisation

• Seedling • 10 First leaf through coleoptile • 11 First Leaf unfolded • 13 3 leaves unfolded • 15 5 Leaves unfolded

• Tillering • 21 Main shoot and 1 Tiller • 23 Main shoot and 3 Tillers • 25 Main shoot and 5 Tillers • 27 Main shoot and 7 Tillers • 29 Main shoot and 9 or more Tillers

Stem elongation * 30 Ear at 1 cm (pseudo stem erect) * 31 1st node detectable * 32 2nd node detectable * 33 3rd node detectable * 37 Tip of flag leaf visible * 39 Flag leaf blade all visible

• Booting • 41 Flag leaf sheath extending • 43 Flag leaf sheath just visibly swollen • 45 Flag leaf sheath swollen • 47 Flag leaf sheath opening

Stem elongation- is when the nodes are formed and is also when the key leaves in the crop canopy emerge

• GS 31 1st node - fourth last leaf emerges • GS 32 2nd node - third last leaf emerges • GS 33 3rd node - second last leaf emerges

39 Flag leaf blade all visible first leaf emerges

• Ear emergence • 51 1st spikelet of ear just emerged • 55 Half of ear emerged • 59 Ear completely emerged

• Flowering • 61 Start of flowering • 65 Flowering half-way • 69 Flowering complete

• Milk Development • 71 Grain watery ripe • 73 Early milk • 75 Medium milk • 77 Late milk

• Dough Development • 83 Early dough • 85 Soft dough • 87 Hard dough

• Ripening • 91 Grain hard (difficult to divide with thumbnail) • 92 Grain hard (not dented by thumbnail) • 93 Grain loosening in daytime