In Plant Growth, there is stages where plant requires moisture or Water to further development. Sometimes due to some reasons water doesn't meet them and affect the plant growth.
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| critical growth stages of crops |
What is Critical Period for Crops?
Certain stages in the crop growth period are made sensitive to soil moisture stress compared with others. These are known as "Moisture sensitive" or "Critical periods".
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In each crop, there are some growth stages at which moisture stress leads to irrevocable yield loss, these stages are known as "Critical period" or "Moisture sensitive period"
• In cereals, Panicle initiation and Flowering stages are moisture sensitive stages.
• In pulses, Flowering and Pod development important moisture sensitive stages
The periods in days during which irrigation water is supplied to the crop is termed as "Base period".
List of Critical Growth Stages of Different Crops for Irrigation :
| Crops | Critical Stage / Moisture Sensitive Stage |
|---|
| Cereals |
| Rice | Panicle Initiation, Heading and Flowering |
| Wheat | Crown Root Initiation (CRI), Tillering and Booting, Flag leaf stage, Jointing, Milking and Dough stage |
| Maize | Seedling, Tasseling, Silking and Grain filling, Dough stage |
| Sorghum | Booting, Flowering and Grain Formation, Milky and Dough stage |
| Pearl millet | Heading or Panicle Initiation and Flowering |
| Finger millet / Ragi | Primordial initiation and Flowering |
| Minor millets | Maximum tillering, Flowering, Grain development |
| Barley & Oat | Active tillering, Ear emergence, Grain |
| Oil Seeds |
| Groundnut | Rapid flowering, Pegging, Early pod formation |
| Soybean | Flowering and Pod formation |
| Sesame | Blooming and Capsule (Pod) formation |
| Sunflower | Buttoning, 2 Weeks before and After Flowering |
| Safflower | Rosette to Flowering |
| Castor | First or Second or Third Spike development |
| Rapeseed & Mustard | Preflowering, Silique filling |
| Linseed | Pre-flowering, Pod filling |
| Legumes |
| Pigeon pea | Flower initiation, Flowering, Pod filling |
Mungbean, Urdbean,
Clusterbean, Cowpea | Flowering and Pod development |
| Chickpea | Branching, Pre-flowering, Seed development |
| Lentil | Branching, Pre-flowering, Pod development |
| Field Pea | Flower initiation and Pod Formation |
| Vegetables |
| Chilli | Flowering |
| Tomato | Flowering and Fruit setting |
| Cabbage | Head formation and Head Enlargement |
| Cauliflower & Broccoli | Seedling stage, Curd growth |
| Onion | Bulb formation to Bulb enlargement |
| Potato | Stolonization, Tuber initiation to Tuber Maturity |
| Sweet Potato | Seedling, Leaf development, Root enlargement |
| Carrot & Radish | Root initiation, Bulking (Enlargement) |
| Commercial / Cash Crops and Others |
| Sugarcane | Formative Stage |
| Coconut | Nursery Stage, Root development |
| Tobacco | Transplanting to Full Bloom |
| Coffee | Flowering and Fruit development |
| Cotton | Sympodial branching, Flowering and Boll Formation |
| Mango | Flowering |
| Citrus | Flowering, Fruit setting and it's Growth |
| Banana | Early vegetative phase, Flowering, Fruit formation |
| Sugarbeet | Formative, Leaf development, Root development |
Frequently Asked Questions :
Que : What is critical growth stage?
Ans : The stages in the crop growth period are made sensitive to soil moisture stress compared with others. These are known as "Critical periods" or "Critical Growth Stages "
Que : Which is the most critical stage of wheat crop for irrigation?
Ans : Crown Root Initiation (CRI) is the most critical stage of wheat crop for irrigation.
Que : What is the critical stage in maize for irrigation?
Ans : Silking and Tasseling are the critical stages in Maize for irrigation.
Que : Which growth stage of grains is critical for irrigation?
Ans : Milky and Dough stage of grains is critical for irrigation.
Que : What is the most critical stage of rice?
Ans : Panicle initiation is the most critical stage of irrigation in rice.
