• Background:
Buckwheat was brought over from Asia in the early 16th century because of a chronic shortage of cereals in Central Europe at that time. It has the advantage of being able to grow in infertile sandy and wet soils.
Buckwheat flour can be used for baking bread, fine and durable pastries, and also for pancakes and pasta. Since it does not contain gluten it can also be used for celiac patients.
Alongside its use as a cereal, buckwheat can also be used as a weed suppressant, catch crop, fodder plant or for sowing meadows for bee grazing.
• Suitability for green manuring:
Buckwheat germinates in the driest conditions and sprouts quickly. On the basis of its rapid soil coverage, it offers other crops effective protection at germination. Buckwheat is therefore a superb ingredient in reclamation mixtures for landscaping. It has a fine root system in the top humus layer of the soil. Even in mild frosts it does not freeze. It is not recommended to sow buckwheat as a reclamation crop in pure crops.
• Botanical characteristics:
Buckwheat is an annual spring plant with a height of 50 - 60 cm. The typical heart-shaped leaves with a pointed tip and short petioles are located on the initially green stem, which eventually turns reddish. From the leaf axils grow globose inflorescences which are pink, whitish-yellow or yellowish-green in colour.
Depending on the time of sowing, the plant flowers from June to September and, as a result of this long flowering period, buckwheat is suitable for sowing meadows for bee grazing.
The fruit is a three-edged, pointed box with a black, dark brown or silver-grey colour. The weight per thousand grains of the common buckwheat is 19-27 grams and that of the Tatar buckwheat is 15-20 grams. The buckwheat is very sensitive to adverse weather during flowering and fruit formation is therefore very uncertain.
Depending on the time of sowing, the plant flowers from June to September and, as a result of this long flowering period, buckwheat is suitable for sowing meadows for bee grazing.
The fruit is a three-edged, pointed box with a black, dark brown or silver-grey colour. The weight per thousand grains of the common buckwheat is 19-27 grams and that of the Tatar buckwheat is 15-20 grams. The buckwheat is very sensitive to adverse weather during flowering and fruit formation is therefore very uncertain.
• Choice of growing field:
Buckwheat is cold sensitive and requires warmth with moderate humidity during its short growing time (6 to 9 weeks). But it tolerates harsher climates. Very fertile soils cause vigorous plant growth but less fruit formation and heavy lodging.
Buckwheat prefers light, warm and moderately acid soils without compaction. It is drought tolerant but responds to extreme drought by reducing yield. It prefers low pH-values, values in the slightly acidic range are suitable.
Buckwheat is not demanding of its predecessor. In any case, it should leave a soil free of weeds and low in residual nitrogen. Green fallow and leguminous crops are therefore not suitable. Suitable precursors are cereals, potatoes and maize. Buckwheat itself is considered to be a good precursor (technological soil preparation, weed suppression, nematode enemy plant). Its own tolerance is estimated to be relatively high. In the crop rotation it is most often found after swede crops, rye and itself.
Buckwheat prefers light, warm and moderately acid soils without compaction. It is drought tolerant but responds to extreme drought by reducing yield. It prefers low pH-values, values in the slightly acidic range are suitable.
Buckwheat is not demanding of its predecessor. In any case, it should leave a soil free of weeds and low in residual nitrogen. Green fallow and leguminous crops are therefore not suitable. Suitable precursors are cereals, potatoes and maize. Buckwheat itself is considered to be a good precursor (technological soil preparation, weed suppression, nematode enemy plant). Its own tolerance is estimated to be relatively high. In the crop rotation it is most often found after swede crops, rye and itself.
• Other:
At first glance, buckwheat grain production looks very interesting, but grain yields are lower compared to cereals, and processing difficulties (problems with shelling!) have not yet been resolved.
Before sowing, along with processing, it should be clarified whether disposal and price are settled by contract.
Before sowing, along with processing, it should be clarified whether disposal and price are settled by contract.
Sowing:
Buckwheat can be sown as a cereal crop, as a catch forage crop or as part of green manuring. Its suitability for sowing as a catch crop is due to its very rapid initial development with intensive ground cover and weed suppression lasting until the first autumn frost. On the other components in different mixtures buckwheat offers effective protection at emergence.
| Use of grain | Green manuring (in mixtures), second crop | |
| Germinatind seeds /m2 | around 300 | around 300 |
| Thousand kernel weight in grams | 18 - 35 | 18 - 35 |
| Seeding rate for clean crops kg/ha | 50 - 90 | 50 - 90 |
| Width of row in cm | 10 - 15 | 10 - 15 |
| Sowing depth in cm | 2 - 3 | 2 -3 |
| Sowing time | 5.04. - 5.06. | 1.07. - 10.08. |
Source: Austrian variety list
Buckwheat is heat-loving and cold-sensitive; the sowing date should be guided by these characteristics. Sowing dates in May are common, and under favourable conditions buckwheat is sown from mid-April.
Caution: temperatures below 5oC can lead to delayed germination and losses. Late frosts can even lead to total destruction.
The sowing bed must be well settled and have a shallowly loosened sowing horizon without compaction.
Five to eight days after sowing, the first sprouting leaves are already visible. The seed needs almost no care. Due to the relatively short growing period of the crop (twelve weeks), places with a higher altitude are also suitable. It is possible to sow buckwheat as a second crop after early release crops such as winter barley.
Fertilizer:
The rate of nitrogen extraction is about 30 - 50 kg/ha, of phosphorus - 30 kg/ha, of potassium (without chlorides) - 50 kg/ha. Excessive fertilisation delays ripening and increases moisture content at harvest time. Nitrogen fertilisation before sowing should not exceed 40 kg/ha N.
Varieties:
Varieties with a high mass per thousand kernels and a certain tolerance to late sowing are preferred. Varieties which have been selected for summer use as a catch crop are little suited to cereal production as a main crop.
Diseases, enemies and weeds:
So far, no plant protection products have been registered in Austria. However, buckwheat is quite insensitive. So far there are no known problematic pests and diseases.
Its competitiveness against weeds is very high; mechanical care with harrow and harrow is applicable to a limited extent, as the plant is sensitive to mechanical damage. The soil must therefore be repeatedly tilled before sowing to remove all weeds and volunteers. Areas with perennial weeds are not suitable.
Its competitiveness against weeds is very high; mechanical care with harrow and harrow is applicable to a limited extent, as the plant is sensitive to mechanical damage. The soil must therefore be repeatedly tilled before sowing to remove all weeds and volunteers. Areas with perennial weeds are not suitable.
Harvest and yield:
Buckwheat has a long flowering phase and late and uneven ripening. Due to the loose seed binding, losses in the period before and during harvest can be high. Grain yields average between 500 and 1500 kg/ha.
Harvesting takes place when most of the grains have changed colour and have hardened. It is not always easy to determine the time for harvesting because there are both flowers and almost ripe grains on the plant.
When the first early frosts appear, there is considerable grain ripening. If harvesting is carried out with a combine harvester, threshing should be more gentle than with cereal crops. The drill should be set at 600 rpm and the spacing between the drum bars should be greater.
Sometimes the buckwheat is harvested separately - mowed in swaths (when the first grains have already started to crumble ). After a week it can usually be threshed.
After harvesting, the grain should be dried immediately and cleaned. Humidity higher than 25% can damage it completely. Further drying to about 14% is also necessary (to produce seed for sowing at 40oC, for consumption at 50oC).
Harvesting takes place when most of the grains have changed colour and have hardened. It is not always easy to determine the time for harvesting because there are both flowers and almost ripe grains on the plant.
When the first early frosts appear, there is considerable grain ripening. If harvesting is carried out with a combine harvester, threshing should be more gentle than with cereal crops. The drill should be set at 600 rpm and the spacing between the drum bars should be greater.
Sometimes the buckwheat is harvested separately - mowed in swaths (when the first grains have already started to crumble ). After a week it can usually be threshed.
After harvesting, the grain should be dried immediately and cleaned. Humidity higher than 25% can damage it completely. Further drying to about 14% is also necessary (to produce seed for sowing at 40oC, for consumption at 50oC).
Published by: Chamber of Agriculture of Lower Austria, Wiener Strasse 64, 3100 Sankt Pölten
Responsible compilers: eng. Фердинад Лембахер, директор, инж. маг. Харалд Шали, инж. Йозеф Васнер
Санкт Пьолтен, април 2009 г.
This information has been carefully developed and reflects the current state of the data. No responsibility is expressly assumed for the accuracy, completeness or timeliness of these guidelines at this time. In any case, the specific development of the crops should be observed before each event. Prior to each event, follow the current authorisation regime and observe the instructions given within the environmental protection programmes.