How to increase wheat grain numbers

When it comes to maximising wheat yield potential, grain numbers are key, and micronutrients play a vital role in supporting grain number per ear.

Targeted micronutrient nutrition with products such as YaraVita Mancozin, for a combined nutrient approach, or YaraVita Coptrel and/or YaraVita Zintrac, for more specific targeting, helps ensure crops have access to essential nutrients during key growth stages.

Zinc supports fertility and grain quality, copper plays an important role in pollen formation and grain set, while manganese supports photosynthesis and overall plant health, all contributing towards building higher grain numbers and stronger yield potential.

Micronutrients influence grain numbers

The effect of manganese and zinc on the number of grains per ear in wheat

 

 

The effect of copper on the yield of winter wheat

Other crop management practices influencing wheat grain numbers

The number of eventual grains per spike (ear) varies from season to season and is affected by a number of factors including:

  • Varietal choice
  • Disease control during flowering
  • Weather conditions during flowering 
  • Temperature and day length before terminal spikelet (Zadoks GS 30)

This variability enables high yields to be achieved through two ways:

  • Low shoot numbers and high grain numbers/spike
  • High shoot numbers and low grain numbers/spike

Recommended Yara fertilisers for wheat

YaraVita Bortrac 150
A liquid micronutrient fertiliser containing 150 g/l boron for foliar application to provide additional boron or to treat boron deficiencies in a wide range of crops.
YaraVita Gramitrel
A flowable liquid fertiliser with a balanced combination of micronutrients including manganese, magnesium, copper and zinc for foliar application to cereals.
YaraVita Mancozin
A flowable liquid micronutrient fertiliser containing manganese, copper and zinc for foliar application to treat micronutrient deficiencies on cereals and broadacre crops.
YaraBela AXAN
27% N + 9% SO3 - Granular uniform compound nitrate based nitrogen and sulphur fertiliser for use on all crops.
YaraMila ACTYVA S
15.6-14.6-14.6+ 6.5 SO3 - Granular fertiliser often used for grassland, winter cereals and oilseed rape to supply phosphate and potash together with nitrogen and sulphur.
YaraMila 52 S
20.6-8.2-11.6 +6.5%SO3 - Compound NPKS fertiliser containing Nitrogen, Phosphate, Potash and Sulphur suitable for all crops.
See all fertilisers products

Related articles

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How to maintain wheat green leaf canopy

The key to achieving high wheat yields, having established the correct canopy structure, is to maintain the green area right through to the final grain filling period, capturing as much of the incident light as possible and converting it to yield.
How to increase wheat leaf and tiller numbers

How to increase wheat leaf and tiller numbers

The number of leaves determines the size of the crop canopy and its photosynthetic potential. The number of shoots and how many of these survive through to harvest also determines the number of ears at harvest and so the potential yield.
How to increase wheat grain size and weight

How to increase wheat grain size and weight

Wheat grain size is strongly influenced by plant nutrition particularly during the important grain filling period. Nitrogen, phosphate, potassium, magnesium and zinc are particularly important.
Identify and diagnose wheat nutrient deficiencies

Identify and diagnose wheat nutrient deficiencies

Identify and diagnose if your wheat is suffering from nutrient deficiencies and learn more about the symptoms and causes and how to control or correct the deficiency

See all wheat article pages

How correct nutrient management can affect your wheat

Farmer fields in Scotland
Micronutrients: Micro but Mighty
Don’t be fooled by the name - micronutrients are NOT unimportant, we just need less of them than the macronutrients to achieve the best results.
Managing late drilled wheat crops
Managing late drilled wheat crops
Where drilling of winter wheat has been delayed, the crop nutrition strategy should be adapted to help recover the lost yield potential
Do you really need straight nitrogen
Do you really need straight nitrogen
Before ordering your straight nitrogen it is worth considering how much you actually need as it may be you actually need NS or NPKS grades instead.
Don't forget about sulphur
Don't forget about sulphur
Sulphur was often overlooked in the past but today it is recognised as an essential nutrient and considered just as important as nitrogen, so not to be forgotten.
Heavier fertiliser spreads further
Heavier fertiliser spreads further
Some fertilisers consistently spread further and more accurately than others. A heavier and larger fertiliser granule will spread further because the spreader can put more energy into it.
Agronomy Advice - Boron deficiencies in cereals shouldn’t be overlooked
Boron deficiencies in cereals shouldn’t be overlooked
Boron is generally an overlooked micronutrient and it is often wrongly assumed to be less important for cereals than for brassicas which have the highest boron requirement.
See all agronomy advice

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