Drought

Constraint -Drought

Symptoms

Seedlings

• Seedlings stunted, dull or wilted
• Poor establishment
• Leaves may curl
• May appear as nutrient deficiency due to reduced mobility in dry soils
• Effect may be patchy

Established plants

• Lack of vigour
• Dull leaf colour
• Haying off
• Shrivelled seed, aborted florets
• Effect may be patchy

Damage

• Lowered yield to total crop failure
• Lower quality grain due to shrivelled grain/screenings

Control

Rainfall dependent. Nutrient deficiencies likely to resolve after re-wetting of topsoil.

Links and Resources

DAFWA - Drought What to look for in paddock and on plant, what else could it be, where does it occur, and monitoring.

DAFWA - Effect of water stress on wheat in mid-late growth Information on areas that will be affected, damage/symptoms, similar symptoms, and monitoring.

DEPI VIC - Early wheat sowing in Victoria Page contains information on chance of frost or heat damage over a variety of sowing dates. Written 2014. File size: 22kb

DEPI VIC - Heat Stress and Frost Risk in Irrigated Wheat Crops 15 page PDF. Contains information on likelihood of frost or heat damage over a variety of sowing dates. Written 2013. File size: 4.3mb

Sowing date, heat stress and frost risk in irrigate d wheat crops. Drought Contains information on sowing date, frost and heat. Published 2014. File size: 54kb