Wheat School: Targeting the ideal growth stage for best PGR results

Research shows plant growth regulators (PGRs) are most effective — and least likely to cause damage — when they're applied with precise timing, and that stage can pass quickly as a cereal crop develops.

There are three questions to answer before applying a PGR, explains Anne Kirk, cereal specialist with Manitoba Agriculture, in this video recorded at the 2022 Manitoba Crop Diagnostic School at Carman. 

The first question: is the crop under stress? "We know there can be negative effects from PGRs, whether it's a yield decrease or some injury on the plants, if we have PGRs applied when the plants are under stress, whether that's drought, excess moisture, heat, insects, or diseases," she notes.

Second, is the crop at risk of lodging? This will depend on fertility and whether conditions are conducive for growth and good yield potential.

The third question, and the focus of this Western Canada-focused Wheat School episode: is the crop at the right stage?

"We see the best effects from plant growth regulators when they're applied at the ideal timing, which is between growth stage 31 and 32," explains Kirk. (find the rest of this article at WheatSchool.com)

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