Mechanical Damage in the Tillering, Development and Productivity of Wheat

Abstract

Wheat has great economic importance, especially in the Southern states of Brazil, is a good option for winter cultivation period. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of mechanical damages in the induction of tillering, development and productivity of wheat. Treatments were two methods of mechanical damages (kneading and cutting) combined with five induction time of damages (seedling emergence, 7, 14, 21 and 28 days after emergence) and one control (no mechanical damages). Variables evaluated were: tillering, final height of plant, final length of spikes, final number of spikes per m2, number of spikelets per spike and grain yield. The mechanical damages caused by the cutting method did not have positive effects on tillering, development and productivity of the wheat grain at any time of the cut. The kneading method did not increase tillers and productivity, nor did it reduce the number of tillers and productivity. The results, despite not being conclusive, demonstrate to be of the potential of cultivating wheat in an integrated crop-livestock system.