Freeze Damaged Wheat

(Updated: March 16, 2022, 11:51 a.m.)

Saturday night was in the low 20's in Caldwell County. Most of the wheat in the county is tillering and can tolerate these cold temps down to 12 degrees without any issues. However, some early wheat varieties may have reached jointing. Wheat that has jointed can be damaged by 24 degree temperatures.  Freeze damage does not show up right away. It takes 5 to 7 days before the freeze damage can be seen. For more information checkout Freeze Injury in Wheat from the North Carolina Small Grain Production Guide. If you have questions or need help scouting let me know.

The Feekes scale of wheat development.
Credit: Large, E.C. 1954. Growth stages in cereals: Illustration of the Feekes’ scale. Plant Pathology 3:128-129.