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Competency Area 2: Crop Staging, Growth and Development

PO 5. Know the different systems used to stage corn, small grains and soybean.
&
PO 6. Know how to identify growth stages between emergence and physiological maturity of corn, small grain, and soybean.

Small Grain-Feekes Scale is the most commonly used scale in the USA (Zadoks scale is used in Europe):

Feekes Scale for wheat growth
Large, EG (1954) Growth stages in cereals: Illustration of the Feeke's scale. Pl. Path. 3: 128–129
Click on images to enlarge

wheat staging

Stage 1-One shoot or seedling stage, occurs in late September through mid October
wheat stagin winter

Stage 2-Tillering begins; early December 
wheat staging

Stage 3-Tillers formed; late March
wheat staging

Stage 4-Leaf sheath lengthens; mid to late April  
 

Stage 5-Leaf sheath strongly erected
wheat staging

Stage 6 –First node of stem visible or jointing stage (growing point is now above ground); early May
 

Stage 7-Second node visible
 

Stage 8-Last leaf just visible 
 

Stage 9-Ligule of last leaf just visible
wheat staging

Stage 10-"Boot" stage; early June 
wheat staging

Stage 10.1-Early heading (head of the wheat plant is now visible) 
wheat staging

Stage 10.5-Flowering or anthesis stage 
wheat staging

Stage 11-Ripening or grain-filling; mid June
wheat staging maturity wheat staging harvest wheat staging straw harvest
Wheat matures in mid July
 Wheat harvest
 Straw harvest in late July

Corn-Iowa or leaf ligule staging method

This information is provided in: Hanway, J.J. and S.W. Ritchie. 1984. How a Corn Plant Develops: Special Report No. 48, Iowa State University. For more information see this publication.

 

VE-Emergence

corn staging

V1-1st leaf 
corn staging

V2-Ligule of 2nd leaf is visible 
corn staging
corn staging

V3-Ligule of 3rd leaf is visible 
corn staging
corn staging

Vn-Ligule of nth leaf is visible
corn staging
corn staging
 

VT-Tasseling
corn staging

R1-Silking  
 

R2-Blister of kernel 

corn staging

R3-Milk stage of kernel

corn staging

R4-Dough stage of kernel 
corn staging

R5-Dent stage of kernel 
corn stagingcorn staging
corn stagingcorn staging

R6-Physiological maturity

Soybean-Iowa Method

soybean staging

VE-Emergence 
 

VC-Cotyledons are visible
soybean staging

V1-1st leaf node is fully developed; early June
soybean staging

V2-2nd leaf node if fully developed

soybean staging

Vn-nth leaf node if fully developed 
soybean staging

R1-Beginning flowering  
soybean staging
soybean staging

R2-Full bloom or flowering

soybean staging

R3-Beginning pod development
 soybean staging 

R4-Full pod development; early August
soybean staging

R5-Beginning seed development 
soybean staging

R6-Full seed development; early September
soybean stagin
soybean staging

R7-Beginning maturity; late September
soybean staging

R8-Full maturity; early October