Freeze Damage to Wheat
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Cold Temperature Reports
Check out the complete 'Wheat Freeze Damage' publication (PDF)
Temperatures that can cause freeze injury to wheat at spring growth stages.
Growth Stage | Approximate Primary Symptoms | Yield Effect | |
Injurious Temp (two hours) |
|||
Tillering | 12 F | Leaf Chlorosis; Burning of leaf tips; Silage Odor; Blue cast to fields | Slight to Moderate |
Jointing | 24 F | Death of growing point; Leaf yellowing or burning; Lesions, splitting, or bending of lower stem; Odor | Moderate to Severe |
Boot | 28 F | Floret sterility; Spike trapped in boot; Damage to lower stem; Leaf discoloration; Odor | Moderate to Severe |
Heading | 30 F | Floret sterility; while awns or while spikes; Damage to lower stem; Leaf discoloration | Severe |
Flowering | 30 F | Floret sterility; while awns or while spikes; Damage to lower stem; Leaf discoloration | Severe |
Milk | 28 F | White awns or white spikes; Damage to lower stems; Leaf discoloration; Shrunken, roughened, or discolored kernels | Moderate to Severe |
Dough | 28 F | Shriveled, discolored kernels; Poor germination | Slight to Moderate |
Watch the video! (4-15-13)
This shows the cosmetic damage to wheat after 24 hours of below 20 degree temperatures.
This is wheat on March 17, 2016. The wheat is not yet jointed because the growing point is still
below the soil surface. The soil is helping protect it from cold air temperatures. The official stage of
this wheat is Feekes 5, the leaf sheaths are strongly erect.