Volunteer Wheat

Volunteer wheat plant
click to enlarge 		Volunteer wheat collar region with auricles Volunteer wheat collar region ligule and leaf surface Volunteer wheat leaf upper surface Volunteer wheat awnless spike
Volunteer wheat flowering awned spike Volunteer wheat flowering spike with anthers extruded Volunteer wheat field Volunteer wheat roots

Biology

An annual weed, reproducing by seeds. The stems are erect, smooth, and possess many tillers. The ligule is membranous and auricles are small. Leaf blades are wide and glabrous. The flowers occur on spikes and the lemmas can be awned or awnless depending on the variety. The seeds are reddish in colour, oblong, and approximately 5-8 mm long x 3 mm wide. Seeds are short lived in the soil, surviving only 1-3 years.

Scouting Techniques

Take a minimum of 20 weed counts across the field. Especially scouting fields sown into wheat stubble.

Effects On Crop Quality

Reductions in crop quality due to the competitive nature of this crop.

Threshold/Yield Loss

Reduces the average shoot biomass and yield in flax.

Control Tips

  • Group 1 (some, not all)
  • Group 22 and 9 pre-seeding