Wheat is the second most important cereal after maize in the food security basket. Producing wheat will create employment directly at farm level and indirectly, upstream and downstream industries such as milling, baking and food outlets.
As such, if a farmer has an interest in venturing into wheat production there are a few things to consider. The major aspect to consider would have to be the soil texture and suitable climate conditions since wheat is a temperate crop and is best grown in winter under irrigation with optimum day temperatures of between 15 – 20OC and cooler nights giving the best yields. The crop is adapted to a wide range of soils. The soils must be well drained with an optimum pH range of 5.5-6.5 on a Calcium Chloride scale.
The fertilizer regime management in wheat, like any other crop must be tailored to the soil fertility status, the yield potential and the grain quality requirements.
One also has to consider irrigation requirements in areas that have less rain to achieve a high yielding wheat crop. The amount of water required differs depending on the method of irrigation. The soil must be brought to field capacity to the full potential rooting depth of about 1, 2 m during planting to emerge the crop and a light irrigation must be applied at the 4th or 5th day after sowing, to break the crust to ensure good crop emergence, followed again by a light irrigation at the 14 to 17 days after emergence to stimulate crown root development.
Like any other crop, wheat can also be attacked by diseases. Diseases such as Leaf rust, Stem rust, Powdery mildew may cause yield reduction. Farmers must seek professional advice on how to control these diseases. A farmer must be a Crop Doctor, who takes time to investigate his fields in order to prevent problems and improve productivity.
