Weather and management · Wheat, barley and oats
Lodging: how much cereal has gone down
Lodged cereal is easy to see from above. We fly and give you the lodged zones and their area.
We have not flown this problem ourselves yet. We work it out with you, on your field.
The problem
Cereal flat on the ground, crop lost
Cereal lodges at the root, when the root no longer holds the plant, or at the stem, when the base of the stem bends. It usually happens with strong wind and rain, and it is made worse by a variety with weak straw, excess nitrogen, especially if applied early, and a dense seed rate.
Check your insurance: depending on your policy, lodging may not be covered as such; it may be covered under wind or storm, with specific conditions. Check with your insurer and respect the notification deadline in your policy.
How it works
A flight a few days later
1
We fly after the storm
A few days later, while the cereal is still down. Notify the insurer first and do not touch the field until the loss adjuster has been.
2
We send you the map
Lodged zones with their area. From above, lodged cereal is easy to tell from standing cereal; what cannot be told is whether it lodged at the root or at the stem.
3
You decide with data
Where to start harvesting and what to show the loss adjuster. The map does not replace the assessment.
If lodging repeats in the same zones, look at the soil and the fertiliser programme there.
Where it shows up
Where it appears
- Wheat
- Barley
- Oats
What farmers ask us
Lodging: field questions
Does insurance cover lodging?
It depends on your policy. Lodging can sometimes be covered under wind or storm, with its conditions. Confirm it with your insurer.
How long do I have to notify?
It depends on the policy: check the deadline in yours and report each loss.
How do I prevent it?
With lodging-resistant varieties, nitrogen adjusted and not applied too early, and without overdoing the seed rate.
Know someone this would help?
Send them this page. If they have lodging in their fields, you save them some searching.