Grain yield and water use efficiency of early maturing wheat in low rainfall Mediterranean environments

Wheat cultivars with very early maturities appropriate for late sowings in low-rainfall (<325 mm) short-season environments are currently unavailable to wheat growers in the eastern margin of the cropping region of Western Australia. A demonstration that very early-maturing genotypes can out-perform current commercial cultivars would open new opportunities for breeding programs to select very early-maturing, high- and stable-yielding cultivars for these environments. Six field experiments were conducted over 4 seasons at 2 low-rainfall sites in Western Australia to investigate crop growth, grain yield, and water use efficiency of very early-maturing genotypes compared with current commercial cultivars when sown after 1 June. Very early-maturing genotypes reached anthesis up to 24 days (328 degree-days) earlier than the current cultivars, produced less leaves, had similar yields and dry matter, and maintained high water use efficiencies. On average across seasons and locations the very early-maturing genotypes (W87–022–511, W87–114–549, W87–410–509) yielded more than the later maturing cultivars Gamenya and Spear (190 v. 160 g/m2) but they were similar to the early-maturing commercial cultivars Kulin and Wilgoyne (191 g/m2). Very early-maturing genotypes generally had a higher harvest index and produced fewer spikelets, but heavier and more grains, than Kulin and Wilgoyne. There were only small differences in total water use between very early-maturing genotypes and commercial cultivars; however, very early-maturing genotypes used less water in the pre-anthesis period and more water in the post-anthesis period than the later maturing genotypes, and hence, experienced less water deficit during the grain-filling period. This study indicates that there is a role for very early-maturing genotypes in low-rainfall short-season environments, when the first autumn rains arrive late (after 1 June).

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Water Use Efficiency and Physiological Response of Rice Cultivars under Alternate Wetting and Drying Conditions

The Scientific World JOURNAL ◽

10.1100/2012/287907 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 2012 ◽

pp. 1-10 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Yunbo Zhang ◽

Qiyuan Tang ◽

Shaobing Peng ◽

Danying Xing ◽

Jianquan Qin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Water Management ◽

Grain Yield ◽

Water Use Efficiency ◽

Water Use ◽

Field Experiments ◽

Grain Filling ◽

Dry Season ◽

Wetting And Drying ◽

Alternate Wetting And Drying ◽

Use Efficiency

One of the technology options that can help farmers cope with water scarcity at the field level is alternate wetting and drying (AWD). Limited information is available on the varietal responses to nitrogen, AWD, and their interactions. Field experiments were conducted at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) farm in 2009 dry season (DS), 2009 wet season (WS), and 2010 DS to determine genotypic responses and water use efficiency of rice under two N rates and two water management treatments. Grain yield was not significantly different between AWD and continuous flooding (CF) across the three seasons. Interactive effects among variety, water management, and N rate were not significant. The high yield was attributed to the significantly higher grain weight, which in turn was due to slower grain filling and high leaf N at the later stage of grain filling of CF. AWD treatments accelerated the grain filling rate, shortened grain filling period, and enhanced whole plant senescence. Under normal dry-season conditions, such as 2010 DS, AWD reduced water input by 24.5% than CF; however, it decreased grain yield by 6.9% due to accelerated leaf senescence. The study indicates that proper water management greatly contributes to grain yield in the late stage of grain filling, and it is critical for safe AWD technology.

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Increase maize productivity and water use efficiency through application of potassium silicate under water stress

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-020-80656-9 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

M. A. Gomaa ◽

Essam E. Kandil ◽

Atef A. M. Zen El-Dein ◽

Mamdouh E. M. Abou-Donia ◽

Hayssam M. Ali ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Grain Yield ◽

Water Use Efficiency ◽

Water Deficit ◽

Water Use ◽

Field Experiments ◽

Foliar Application ◽

Potassium Silicate ◽

Water Deficit Stress ◽

Maize Productivity ◽

Use Efficiency

AbstractIn Egypt, water shortage has become a key limiting factor for agriculture. Water-deficit stress causes different morphological, physiological, and biochemical impacts on plants. Two field experiments were carried out at Etay El-Baroud Station, El-Beheira Governorate, Agriculture Research Center (ARC), Egypt, to evaluate the effect of potassium silicate (K-silicate) of maize productivity and water use efficiency (WUE). A split-plot system in the four replications was used under three irrigation intervals during the 2017 and 2018 seasons. Whereas 10, 15, and 20 days irrigation intervals were allocated in main plots, while the three foliar application treatments of K-silicate (one spray at 40 days after sowing; two sprays at 40 and 60 days; and three sprays at 40, 60, and 80 days, and a control (water spray) were distributed in the subplots. All the treatments were distributed in 4 replicates. The results indicated that irrigation every 15 days gave the highest yield in both components and quality. The highly significant of (WUE) under irrigation every 20 days. Foliar spraying of K-silicate three times resulted in the highest yield. Even under water-deficit stress, irrigation every fifteen days combined with foliar application of K-silicate three times achieved the highest values of grain yield and its components. These results show that K-silicate treatment can increase WUE and produce high grain yield requiring less irrigation.

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Water Use Efficiency of Maize Genotypes of Different Maturity Groups at Seedling and Grain-filling Growth Stages in a Rainforest Location

International Journal of Plant & Soil Science ◽

10.9734/ijpss/2019/v29i530154 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 1-11

Author(s):

O. O. Bankole ◽

A. Oluwaranti ◽

F. E. Awosanmi

Keyword(s):

Water Use Efficiency ◽

Water Use ◽

Growth Stage ◽

Grain Filling ◽

Growth Stages ◽

Maturity Group ◽

Maize Genotypes ◽

Early Maturing ◽

Use Efficiency ◽

Maturity Groups

Aims: The objectives of this study were to evaluate maize genotypes of different maturity groups for seedling and grain filling water use efficiency and determine relationship that exist between the water use efficiency traits and yield of different maize maturity groups. Study Design: Sixteen maize genotypes were planted in Randomized Complete Block Design in three replicates for emergence, vegetative, water use efficiency traits at the seedling and grain-filling growth stages and yield. Place and Duration of Study: The sixteen maize genotypes of different maturity groups were evaluated during the early and late cropping seasons of 2016 at the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching and Research Farm, Ile-Ife, Nigeria Methodology: Data collected were subjected to Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), correlation analysis among water use efficiency traits and yield for each of the maturity groups. Results: There was no significant difference among the genotypes within each maturity groups for water use efficiency at seedling and grain filling growth stages. The late maturity group of maize used more water at the seedling growth stage than the other maturity groups in the early season of this study while in the late season, the early and extra-early maturity groups used more water than the other maturity groups. Increase in emergence percentage, reduction in speed of germination, and minimal days to complete germination increased water use efficiency at the seedling stage only during the early cropping season. Efficiency of water usage at the seedling growth stage was more among the late and intermediate maturing groups than the extra-early and early maturing groups in the early season while in the late season, the extra-early and early maturing groups used water more efficiently than the late and Intermediate maturing groups Conclusion: Maturity group played a significant role in the expression and manifestation of water use efficiency traits under different environmental conditions.

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Nitrogen Time of Application Impact on Productivity, Water Use Efficiency and Agronomic Efficiency of Maize in a Semi-arid Environment

Journal of Agricultural Science ◽

10.5539/jas.v10n8p72 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 10 (8) ◽

pp. 72

Author(s):

S. Lamptey ◽

Lingling Li ◽

Junhong Xie

Keyword(s):

Zea Mays ◽

Grain Yield ◽

Water Use Efficiency ◽

Water Use ◽

Field Experiments ◽

Zea Mays L ◽

Block Design ◽

Limiting Factor ◽

Time Of Application ◽

Use Efficiency

Water is one of the most important limiting factor of rainfed continuous maize (Zea mays L.) cropping systems in northwest of China. A three continuous year field experiments were conducted to study the influence of different nitrogen time of application on grain yield and water use efficiency of maize (Zea mays L.) in the Western Loess plateau. The experiment was laid in a randomized complete block design with two treatments and three replicates. Treatments were; (one-third application of N at sowing + two-third application at pre-flowering) and (one-third application of N at sowing + one-third pre-flowering + one-third at milking) as T1 and T2 respectively. The results showed that, T1 significantly increased grain yield by 9% in 2014 and 2016; and WUE by 11% in 2016 compared to T2. T1 increased AE by 43% compared to T2. Our results indicate that ⅓ application of Nitrogen at sowing and ⅔ application of Nitrogen at pre–flowering (T1) for maize is more appropriate for sustainable maize production in terms of satisfactory grain-N recoveries and low environmental losses of N fertilizer.

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Yield, water use and water use efficiency of pigeonpea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.] under drip fertigation system

Journal of Applied and Natural Science ◽

10.31018/jans.v6i2.482 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 6 (2) ◽

pp. 457-462 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

L. Vimalendran ◽

K. R. Latha

Keyword(s):

Grain Yield ◽

Water Use Efficiency ◽

Water Use ◽

Drip Irrigation ◽

Cajanus Cajan ◽

Field Experiments ◽

Water Soluble ◽

Surface Irrigation ◽

Use Efficiency ◽

Drip Fertigation

Field experiments were carried out during two seasons (August-February) of 2011-12 and 2012-13 at Millet Breeding Station, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, to study the effect of drip fertigation on productivity, water use and water use efficiency of pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan) cv. LRG 41. The treatments included three irrigation regimes (50 %, 75 %, 100 % computed water requirement of crop) and surface irrigation along with three fertilizer levels with water soluble fertilizer (WSF) and conventional fertilizers (CF). The treatments were laid out in Randomized Block Design with three replications. The results revealed that drip irrigation at 100 % WRc with fertigation at 125 % RDF through WSF registered significantly highest grain yield of 2812 and 2586 kg ha-1 during 2011-12 and 2012-13, respectively. Surface irrigation with conventional method of fertilizer application recorded lower water use efficiency of 3.70 and 3.38 kg ha-1 mm-1 whereas it was reverse with drip irrigation of 100 % WRc + 125 % RDF through WSF with a WUE of 6.97 kg ha-1 mm-1 during 2011-12 and during second season (2012-13), the highest WUE of 6.72 kg ha-1 mm-1 was recorded in drip irrigation at 50 % WRc along with fertigation at 125 % RDF through WSF. The increase in grain yield with drip irrigation at 100 % WRc + fertigation with 125 % RDF through WSF was mainly attributed by greater and consistent availability of soil moisture and nutrients which resulted in better crop growth, yield components and ultimately reflected on water use efficiency and yield of pigeonpea Cajanus cajan.

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Assessment of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grown under alternate furrow irrigation in northern China: Grain yield and water use efficiency

Canadian Journal of Plant Science ◽

10.4141/cjps2013-224 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 94 (2) ◽

pp. 349-359 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

D.-Y. Jia ◽

X.-L. Dai ◽

H.-W. Men ◽

M.-R. He

Keyword(s):

Triticum Aestivum ◽

Winter Wheat ◽

Grain Yield ◽

Water Use Efficiency ◽

Water Use ◽

Grain Filling ◽

Triticum Aestivum L ◽

Furrow Irrigation ◽

Use Efficiency ◽

Alternate Furrow Irrigation

Jia, D.-Y., Dai, X.-L., Men, H.-W. and He, M.-R. 2014. Assessment of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grown under alternate furrow irrigation in northern China: Grain yield and water use efficiency. Can. J. Plant Sci. 94: 349–359. Increasing water use efficiency (WUE) can improve agricultural production in the north of China, where there is little or no prospect for the expansion of water resources. A field experiment was carried out to investigate the effects of alternate furrow irrigation (AFI) on the physiological response, grain yield, and WUE of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) over two successive growing seasons (2009/2010 and 2010/2011). The irrigation regimes were: W0, non-irrigated; W2, every furrow was irrigated at jointing and anthesis; W3, every furrow was irrigated before wintering and at jointing and grain filling; and AFI, where one of the two neighboring furrows was alternately irrigated before wintering and at grain filling, and every furrow was irrigated during jointing. Our results indicate that the rate of plant transpiration and soil evaporation during grain filling were lower with AFI than when using W3. A reduced biological yield and increased harvest index were achieved under AFI compared with treatment W3. No difference in grain yield was observed between AFI and W3. The photosynthetic WUE, irrigation WUE, and WUE were all higher with AFI than with W3. Therefore, AFI is suggested as an appropriate irrigation schedule that achieves acceptable grain yields and allows for reductions in irrigation water consumption.

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Increasing grain yield and water use of wheat in a rainfed Mediterranean type environment

Australian Journal of Agricultural Research ◽

10.1071/ar9920001 ◽

1992 ◽

Vol 43 (1) ◽

pp. 1 ◽

Cited By ~ 39

Author(s):

WK Anderson

Keyword(s):

Grain Yield ◽

Water Use Efficiency ◽

Water Use ◽

Grain Filling ◽

N Fertilizer ◽

Grain Production ◽

Grain Yields ◽

Quality Water ◽

Use Efficiency ◽

Seasonal Water Use

Factorial experiments were conducted at eight sites in the central wheatbelt of Western Australia over two seasons. Time of sowing (mid-May, early June), cultivar (old tall, new semi-dwarf), nitrogen (N) fertilizer (- or +) and amount of seed sown (low and high) were combined as treatments, and grain yield, yield components, biomass, grain quality, water use, soil chemical and weather variables were measured. The aim was to increase grain yield by combining relevant agronomic inputs and increasing the seasonal water use or water use efficiency. Grain yields were increased by from 30 to over 100% by the combination of mid-May sowing, semi-dwarf cultivar, N fertilizer and increased seed level (high-inputs) compared to early June sowing, old tall cultivar, without N and lower seed level (low-inputs). The yield improvements mostly came from increased dry matter production at anthesis, largely due to increased applications of N and seed. Ear and kernel numbers were also increased by earlier sowing and N fertilizer and to a lesser extent by cultivar and increased weight of seed sown. Water use was increased at most sites, especially in the post-anthesis period and water use efficiency of grain production was increased at all sites. Soil evaporation was reduced by the high-input treatments and the low-input treatments did not use water supplies of > 250 mm efficiently in grain production. It was concluded that appropriate combinations of cultivar and agronomic practices can increase grain yields linearly up to about 5 t ha-1 at seasonal water use of about 400 mm, even in situations where considerable water stress occurs during grain filling. Grain protein concentration was generally increased and hectolitre weight and small grain sievings were not adversely affected by increasing agronomic inputs.

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Effects of regulated deficit irrigation on grain yield and water use efficiency of spring wheat in an arid environment

Canadian Journal of Plant Science ◽

10.4141/p04-165 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 85 (4) ◽

pp. 829-837 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Bu-Chong Zhang ◽

Feng-Min Li ◽

Gao-Bao Huang ◽

Yantai Gan ◽

Pu-Hai Liu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Grain Yield ◽

Water Use Efficiency ◽

Water Deficit ◽

Water Use ◽

Spring Wheat ◽

Deficit Irrigation ◽

Field Experiments ◽

Arid Environments ◽

Regulated Deficit Irrigation ◽

Use Efficiency

Grain yield and water use efficiency (WUE) of spring wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) in arid environments can be improved by applying irrigation selectively to allow soil water deficits to develop at non-critical stages of crop development. Field experiments were conducted on a loam soil in Zhangye district, northwest China in 2003 and 2004 to determine the grain yield, yield components, and water use characteristics of spring wheat in response to regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) schemes. Wheat grown under the RDI schemes produced 17% (in 2004) and 29% (in 2003) higher grain yield than wheat grown under water deficit-free control (5.6 t ha-1 in 2003 and 6.2 t ha-1 in 2004). Among six RDI schemes studied, wheat having a high water deficit at the jointing stage, but free from water def icit from booting to grain-filling produced highest grain yield in both 2003 (7.95 t ha-1) and 2004 (7.26 t ha-1). Compared with the control, wheat plants grown under the RDI schemes received 59 mm (or 15%) less water via irrigation, but they either extrac ted 41 mm more (or 74%) water from the soil profile (in 2003) or lowered (16%) evapotranspiration (ET) (in 2004). Grain yield increased as ET increased from 415 to 460 mm, and declined beyond 460 mm. The WUE values varied from 0.0116 to 0.0168 t ha-1 mm-1, and wheat grown under the RDI had 26% greater WUE compared with the control. Grain yield and WUE of spring wheat can be greatly improved by regulated deficit irrigation with reduced amounts of water. This practice is particularly valuable in arid regions where wheat production relies heavily on irrigation. Key words:

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