- Author: Mark E Lundy
![DroughtStressed Wheat](https://ucanr.edu/blogs/smallgrains/blogfiles/88803small.jpg)
If you're planning to attend the World Ag Exp in Tulare this week, be sure to stop by Seminar Trailer 2 between 1-3 PM on Tuesday and Wednesday to catch the UC Dairy Series.
Talks will include presentations on water and nutrient management for forage crops (full agenda here), including information about maximizing water productivity from winter cereals in the face of increasing drought and regulations on water use. This "Water-wise Dairying" session will take place...
- Author: Konrad Mathesius
- Author: Mark E Lundy
- Author: Nicholas Clark
- Author: Jose Luiz Carvalho de Souza Dias
![Figure 6: Patchy patterns caused by drought stress and variations in soil. Knowing where textural changes occur in a field can help catch symptoms of stress early](https://ucanr.edu/blogs/smallgrains/blogfiles/81928small.png)
Dry conditions this year have generated common questions from growers such as “when should I irrigate to maximize yield?” and “will I be able to take this crop to seed?” Many of the principles that dictate irrigation strategies in wheat are similar to those of other crops. Understanding wheat's growth stages can help growers develop a strategy for drought years.
Important Physiology
Relative to many crops, small grains are considered plastic, or flexible, in their growth habit and yield potential. This means that the crop adjusts its growth to the scarcity or abundance of resources (water and nutrients) encountered during the season. The impacts of stress on crop yield are not...