What causes this

[FarmerBruce]

Iwhat causes this or is it just a trait of some varieties. Always seems to be on the smaller tillers not the main stems.

 

[Brisel]

Did you get that sharp frost in May?

 

[Simon Chiles]

+1 for frost damage. Can be quite common in forward crops of Triticale, however I’ve always found that a more forward crop would benefit the yield and any damage never seemed to amount to much loss. If you look up frost damage in wheat you’ll find lots of info from Australia ( which I was surprised about ).

 

[FarmerBruce]

Did you get that sharp frost in May?

Yes. That’s probably it then. Noticed it much more these last 2-3 years too

 

[Gong Farmer]

What are we looking at? The shrunken florets at the base? Wheat tillers often lay down more grain sites than they can subsequently support. Suggests good growing conditions when grain sites were formed but more adverse conditions as they developed.

 

[FarmerBruce]

What are we looking at? The shrunken florets at the base? Wheat tillers often lay down more grain sites than they can subsequently support. Suggests good growing conditions when grain sites were formed but more adverse conditions as they developed.

When you say adverse conditions as they develop do you mean weather wise or deficiencies?

 

[Gong Farmer]

Either, but nutrient status would have the biggest influence.

 

[Brisel]

Either, but nutrient status would have the biggest influence.

I'm seeing a few pictures on Twitter of blind sites on ears from growers who are pretty good. Winter wheat and winter barley. I'll see if I can find some of them & post them.

 

[Brisel]

Taken by a mate on the Lincs heath. Spring barley.

 

[Spencer]

Copper?

 

[Gong Farmer]

That can be nutrient deficiency, frost or more commonly failed pollination. Barley tends to pollinate itself before the ears are fully out but even this can fail for some of the grain sites.

 

[teslacoils]

Neighbour is reporting lots of blind sites in spring barley.

 

[Rookie]

Neighbour is reporting lots of blind sites in spring barley.

I'm in the Lincoln area too and gave a similar issue
My Spring barley has lots of blind ears / grain sites. I even irrigated it to keep it going so disappointed as looks an ok crop from a distance.
Awns have also got stuck in flag leaf as well on a fair bit of it.
I'm putting it down to late frosts / drought stress. I even left growth reg out as was concerned about damage to the ear while the crop was stressed.

 

[Luke Cropwalker]

I have seen some Cu deficiency in wheat this year. The wheat had been top dressed with chicken muck, I put the deficiency down to N and P being antagonistic to Cu, the effect being made worse by the dry spring.

 

[snipe]

Our spring barley is like that too, never Seen it before. Agronomist thinks it's drought related and he's seen lots of it this year.

 

[Breakthru]

IMHO frost damage nearer the top than the bottom.
I would go for nutrient deficiency caused by adverse conditions at initiation and flowering. Zinc and copper the main ones.

 

[Thick Farmer]

Iwhat causes this or is it just a trait of some varieties. Always seems to be on the smaller tillers not the main stems.

Biting your nails and lack of washing hands would be my guess.