Cereals
Winter Wheat Irrigation Guide
Winter Wheat runs a 240-day season with water demand peaking at a crop coefficient of 1.15. On a hot mid-summer day (ETo of 6 mm), that is about 6.9 mm per day, or 48 mm (1.9 inches) per week. Every number on this page comes from the FAO-56 standard and is exactly what RainRule schedules with.
Season length
240 days
30 + 140 + 40 + 30 by stage
Root depth
1.5 m
≈ 4.9 ft at maturity
Peak daily use
6.9 mm
at mid-season, ETo 6 mm/day
Depletion threshold
55%
of available water before stress
Crop coefficient (Kc) through the season
Multiply any day's reference evapotranspiration (ETo) by the Kc below to get Winter Wheat's actual water use that day.
| Stage | Length | Kc | What's happening |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial | 30 days | 0.4 | Establishment: bare soil dominates, low water use |
| Development | 140 days | 0.4 → 1.15 | Canopy closes; demand ramps day by day |
| Mid-season | 40 days | 1.15 | Full canopy: peak water use, most stress-sensitive |
| Late season | 30 days | 1.15 → 0.25 | Maturation: demand tapers toward harvest |
Refill points by soil type
Total available water (TAW) is what your soil holds across Winter Wheat's 1.5 m root zone. Irrigate when the running deficit crosses the refill point (RAW), 55% of TAW for Winter Wheat, so the crop never enters stress.
| Soil | Holds (TAW) | Irrigate at (RAW) | Days of peak use per refill |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sand | 105 mm | 57.8 mm | ~8 days |
| Sandy Loam | 180 mm | 99 mm | ~14 days |
| Loam | 225 mm | 123.8 mm | ~17 days |
| Silt Loam | 255 mm | 140.3 mm | ~20 days |
| Clay Loam | 240 mm | 132 mm | ~19 days |
| Clay | 210 mm | 115.5 mm | ~16 days |
Sandy soils hold the least water, so Winter Wheat on sand needs small, frequent irrigations; clay holds the most and supports longer intervals with bigger applications.
Worked example: a peak-summer week
Take Winter Wheat at mid-season on a week averaging an ETo of 6 mm/day:
- Daily crop use: 6 mm × Kc 1.15 = 6.9 mm/day
- Weekly demand: 6.9 × 7 = 48.3 mm (1.9 inches)
- On loam (123.8 mm refill point), a full profile lasts about 17 days with no rain before irrigation is due.
Real weeks aren't averages: ETo swings with heat waves and rain changes everything. That's the gap between a rule of thumb and a live schedule.
Related cereals guides
Get a live schedule for your winter wheat field
The free calculator combines these coefficients with your field's actual 7-day forecast. Or start a trial and let RainRule track your real water balance every hour.