What kind of inputs did you use and what were the expected traits of the wheat?

Dear Sir,

We didn't used 24-D herbicides or any other biostimulators. The only inputs were some N, P, K, required by the crop.

In my opinion, these could be endogenous factors, probably generated by the phyto-hormonal system of the plant. Unfortunately, at this moment we don't have the necessary equipment to determine this.

In addition, the frequency of the phenomenon is very different in relation to the variety and alternation of day and night temperature.

Dear Berca Mihai,

What is the earliest stage of growth in the fields you follow.

For winter wheat I am afraid is already late, but if you have some field of spring wheat, regardless of variety grown, at the stage of on or before forming of panicle we can help.

Phenomenon occurred in our winter wheat varieties (Arnold, Astardo) in percentage of 2%.

In other fields, from nearby farms, the frequency of morphological changes reached 40%, causing real damages.

Last year (2013) this situation was encountered only in spring wheat at the moment of ear formation. Were destroyed, then, entire plots.

We are really looking for solutions because, as the weather conditions sharpen, the unwanted morphological and genetic changes become more frequent.

Although I do not think it's a genetic change, I think breeders should study the phenomenon.

If you have solutions which can help us solve this problem, please share them with us.

Dear Dr. Berca,

Before drawing a conclusion from the leaf and panicle symptoms, Please look for any nematode infestation in your experimental fields.

Dear Berca,

Please contact me at [email protected] or [email protected]

We can send you samples for testing ASAP.

Regards

Dear Dr. Berca

I have also observed similar kind of expression in my field of spring wheat varieties that exertion of ear head from flag leaf sheath is not complete, resulting in some loss though minis cal. It was more prominent under late sown condition in the variety of comparatively longer flag leaf and duration

Dear Dr. Berca

We observed regulary such symptoms when cold period is followed by a normal or warm period around heading time. The spike have a S shape but we never observed severe damages. Aristated cultivar are more susceptible to have such symptoms. The first hypothesis seem to be in accordance with the observations

Dear Dr. Anwar Khan,

We took into consideration this hypothesis, so we looked for nematode and wasps. This year we found no sting.

Please take a look to the attached file in order to see the difference between a field attacked by nematode and compare this one to the pictures from the original post.

Dear Dr. Rajbir Yadav,

Thank you for your intervention. I see that you've reached to the same conclusions as we had - that the climatic conditions are responsible for phytosanitary disorders in plants.

I strongly believe that we must appeal to breeders. Yet, they are defending their varieties, blaming agronomists for using improper inputs. Which is not the true in our case.

But a time will come when the damage will be so high that the geneticists will be forced to intervene.

Dear Dr. Fossati,

Thank you for your confirmation related to the topic. Indeed, at the moment the damages are quite insignificant, but the climate change intensification will certainly lead to higher damages in the future.

Taking into account the fact the the food price recently increased with 4%, we can't afford even small losses of harvest.

Dear Dr. Berca Miha:

This looks like a genetic disorder I would try just to keep some grain from the affected spikes and sowing again to see what happens next generation.

Dear Berca,

It appears that the phenomenon that you have described and photographed is observed in Ohio too, at least I found a similar description here:

http://corn.osu.edu/newsletters/2014/2014-15/trapped-and-distorted-wheat-head

What sort of (night) temperature did the crop experience around heading (Zadoks 47 - Zadoks 59)? Are there alternative good yielding wheat varieties with shorter awns available for Southern Romania?

It appears that the phenomenon that you have described and photographed may probably due to the shortage in soil minerals mineral content, including zinc, magnesium, iron, and copper, selenium an extremely important mineral. I would like to ask you about the root length of root where the longer roots allow greater extraction of minerals from the soil.

Dear Bastiaan Brak,

To answer to your first question, in the growing stages mentioned by you the night temperatures were around 4-5 Celsius degrees, while during the day were up to 28-30 Celsius degrees.

In the same time, only 4 from the 21 wheat varieties were damaged in this year by the described phenomenon. The other varieties are normally developed in these experiences, as well as in the production fields which are situated nearby.

Regarding the 2nd question, the answer is affirmative. We also have wheat varietes with less or no awns (aristae) and those didn't suffered the presented curve, although to one of them we found that the ear rachis easily turned in a shape of long "S".

Dear Mr. Aldesuquy,

Concerning the mineral elements deficiencies, those are easily observable on wheat, because of the differences that appear on leaves (various color nuances). We didn't find that kind of signs on the damaged plants.

On the other hand, our soils are very rich in micro-elements, which are more than enough comparing to the need of wheat crop.

The root system also was well developed, the soils being deep, rich in calcium and highly ecologically rehabilitated.

We present you a photo from autumn, where it can be observed a well root development compared to the superior part of the plant. This is the plant pattern that we wish for in order to preserve the water supply and to to avoid the crop damages.

Genetic problem triggered by growth hormones?

No way. If that was the case it would be more extensive and on both winter and spring

wheat. It is a malfunction, hormonal, because of temps and/or sunlight.(expected)

I offered a solution to be tested but in vain. A bio regulator is needed, to give signals to the plants to perform according to their DNA, and regulate themselves.

We had similar cases and resolved them.

No way, I think that problem is probably controlled by hormones with temperature increase which induces malfunction. Thus we should have a map for hormonal changes.

I work on heat stress in spring wheat and I have also observed similar phenomenon- "bending of spikes" very much dependent on cultivars' sensitivity to heat stress. Some "S" shaped spikes still bear seeds and some fails to set any seeds. It was more common in long awned spikes and also mostly occurred in late grown tillers than the main tillers.

It could be one of the symptoms of growth aberrations caused high temperature stress especially during inflorescence emerging stage. The reason may be the same in the above shown pictures as the day and night temperature difference also seems very high ( ca. 25 Degrees Celsius difference).

Dear All, with due respect are there any proposals on the table? Is there a remedy?

So far only I offered a solution and was turned down. I think scientific curiosity is something of the past. If I had a problem like that , I would move the earth to find a

possible solution and would be willing to accept even voodoo to resolve it.

Then again not all fingers are the same!

Dear friends and colleagues,

Thank you all for your answers, I'm really excited about the fact that we succeed to collaborate so well.

Regarding the last comment of Mr. Nikos Tsimerlis, I have to confess that I'm a little confused.

Dear Sir, as I write you on our e-mail conversation, we are willing to try all the solutions in order to advance with our research, but within certain limits. We can't apply to our crops any substances which contravene to the existing national legislation (Romania's legislation) and to the EU rules.

That being said, I renew my proposal - if the mentioned product complies with these requirements, please send it to us, together with the invoice. It will be tested and the results will be posted here and in other scientific research papers.

Best regards,

Prof. Berca

Dear Professor Berca,

When one does research and comes up with something, is not pre approved by Romanian of EU legislation or regulations. IT is researched. If it works upon testing, then takes it's due course to be approved and registered.

By the way my offer was for you to test it in order to solve the problem you are facing. At no point of time I said to sell to you, so invoice is not needed.

Now if an Institution in Romania does not have the capacity to import and research a product which is natural, extract from plants, then I should go back to school to learn from the beginning. Besides in any country in the world, research institutes and Universities, do have even open field facilities for testing not approved substances, on top of greenhouses.

In my mind when a fellow scientist says OR OR

Hi Berca! Did you think in an herbicide (hormonal, one year I saw it with picloran) effect, interacting with coadyuvants and/or cold temperatures? In Argentina, those symptons could be a virus too. Regards.

Dear Florencia,

You're totally right. The hormonal herbicides may cause phenotypic changes to grains (wheat, in this case) in 2 situations:

The changes of synthesis hormones are happening earlier and they doesn't cause ears deformations, unless they accidentally get on the plants in this late period. 

Our experience also shows that the effect of hormonal products on the weeds from wheat crop is strongly correlated with the environmental temperature. Below 4oC, the herbicide has no effect. At 4-6oC it has an average action, while between 6-10oC it acts optimal.

It is also true that some of the symptoms may come from viruses. In our fields the viroses issue is a minor one, because the culture is not infested with transmitting insects. In the North part of Romania wheat aphids can occur (fleas), but there we are helped fighting against them by a wasp ( ichneumon wasps), which lay their eggs in the body of the parasite. If this is missing, then the fleas may transmit viruses, which create symptoms similar to those described.

If there was an over application of auxin type herbicide, it would trigger ethylene and ABA  production. In that case senescence would affect the leaves  of the plant and most probably the roots.

In the photos provided there is no such signs. Only top leaf is affected. Ethylene, too much of it will lead to death eventually but in meantime stimulates shoot and root growth and differentiation (triple response). Do you see it anywhere?

Can we find out what was sprayed on those wheat fields?

Will be interesting to find out .