Durum Wheat Yield and N Uptake as Affected by N Source, Timing, and Rate in Two Mediterranean Environments

In nitrate vulnerable zones (NVZs), site-specific techniques are needed to match N availability with durum wheat (Triticum turgidum subsp. durum Desf.) requirements. Enhanced-efficiency fertilizers can improve efficient N supply and reduce leaching, contributing to sustainable agriculture. Two-year field experiments were carried out at two Mediterranean nitrate vulnerable zones in Central Italy (Pisa and Arezzo) to study the effects of nitrogen sources, timings, and application rates. The trial compared: (i) three N sources for the first topdressing application (urea, methylene urea, and urea with the nitrification inhibitor DMPP); (ii) two stages for the first topdressing N application (1st tiller visible—BBCH21 and 1st node detectable—BBCH31); (iii) two N rates: one based on the crop N requirements (Optimal—NO), the other based on action programme prescriptions of the two NVZs (Action Programme—NAP). Grain yield and yield components were determined, together with N uptake. The results showed that: (i) grain and biomass production were reduced with NAP at both locations; (ii) urea performed better than slow-release fertilizers; (iii) the best application time depended on the N source and location: in Pisa, enhanced-efficiency fertilizers achieved higher yields when applied earliest, while for urea the opposite was true; in Arezzo different N fertilizers showed similar performances between the two application timings. Different behaviors of topdressing fertilizers at the two localities could be related to the diverse patterns of temperatures and rainfall. Thus, optimal fertilization strategies would seem to vary according to environmental conditions.

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Durum Wheat Yield and N Uptake as Affected by N Rate, Timing and Source in Two Mediterranean Environments

10.20944/preprints202105.0651.v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Silvia Pampana ◽

Marco Mariotti

Keyword(s):

Durum Wheat ◽

Field Experiments ◽

Triticum Turgidum ◽

N Uptake ◽

Central Italy ◽

Wheat Yield ◽

Nitrification Inhibitor ◽

N Availability ◽

Slow Release Fertilizers ◽

N Rates

In Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (NVZ) site-specific techniques are needed to match N availability with durum wheat (Triticum turgidum subsp. durum Desf.) requirements. Enhanced-efficiency fertilizers (EEF) can improve efficient N supply and reduce leaching, thus contributing to sustainable agriculture. To study the effects of rates, sources and timings of nitrogen application, two-year field experiments were carried out at two Mediterranean NVZs of Central Italy (Pisa and Arezzo). The trial compared: i) two N rates: one based on the crop N requirements (NO), the other on the Action Programmes’ prescriptions of the two NVZ (NAP); ii) three N sources (urea, methylene urea (MU), and nitrification inhibitor (NI) 3,4-Dimethylpyrazole phosphate (DMPP); and two top-dressing timings (1st tiller visible and 1st node detectable). Grain yield and yield components were determined, together with N uptake. Results showed that: i) grain and biomass production were reduced with NAP at both locations; ii) urea performed better than slow-release fertilizers; iii) the best application time varied depending on N source and location: at Pisa enhanced-efficiency fertilizers achieved higher yields when applied earliest, while for urea the contrary was true; at Arezzo different N fertilizers showed similar performances between the two application timings. Different behaviors of top-dressing fertilizers at the two localities could be related to the diverse patterns of temperatures and rainfall. Therefore, optimal fertilization strategies vary according to environmental conditions.

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Morphological and Physiological Root Traits and Their Relationship with Nitrogen Uptake in Wheat Varieties Released from 1915 to 2013

Agronomy ◽

10.3390/agronomy11061149 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (6) ◽

pp. 1149

Author(s):

Guglielmo Puccio ◽

Rosolino Ingraffia ◽

Dario Giambalvo ◽

Gaetano Amato ◽

Alfonso S. Frenda

Keyword(s):

Durum Wheat ◽

Root System ◽

N Uptake ◽

Specific Root Length ◽

Root Traits ◽

Wheat Breeding ◽

N Availability ◽

Wheat Varieties ◽

Uptake Efficiency ◽

Positive Effects

Identifying genotypes with a greater ability to absorb nitrogen (N) may be important to reducing N loss in the environment and improving the sustainability of agricultural systems. This study extends the knowledge of variability among wheat genotypes in terms of morphological or physiological root traits, N uptake under conditions of low soil N availability, and in the amount and rapidity of the use of N supplied with fertilizer. Nine genotypes of durum wheat were chosen for their different morpho-phenological characteristics and year of their release. The isotopic tracer 15N was used to measure the fertilizer N uptake efficiency. The results show that durum wheat breeding did not have univocal effects on the characteristics of the root system (weight, length, specific root length, etc.) or N uptake capacity. The differences in N uptake among the studied genotypes when grown in conditions of low N availability appear to be related more to differences in uptake efficiency per unit of weight and length of the root system than to differences in the morphological root traits. The differences among the genotypes in the speed and the ability to take advantage of the greater N availability, determined by N fertilization, appear to a certain extent to be related to the development of the root system and the photosynthesizing area. This study highlights some variability within the species in terms of the development, distribution, and efficiency of the root system, which suggests that there may be sufficient grounds for improving these traits with positive effects in terms of adaptability to difficult environments and resilience to climate change.

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Grain yield and N benefits to sequential wheat and barley crops from single-year alfalfa, berseem and red clover, chickling vetch and lentil

Canadian Journal of Plant Science ◽

10.4141/p01-044 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 82 (1) ◽

pp. 53-65 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

W. J. Bullied ◽

M. H. Entz ◽

S. R. Smith, Jr. ◽

K. C. Bamford

Keyword(s):

Field Experiments ◽

Crop Yields ◽

N Uptake ◽

Wheat Yield ◽

Cropping System ◽

Wheat Crop ◽

First Year ◽

Silty Clay ◽

Hordeum Vulgare L ◽

N Content

Single-year hay alfalfas (Medicago sativa L.), berseem (Trifolium alexandrinum L.) and red clovers (Trifolium pratense L.), chickling vetch (Lathyrus sativus L.) and lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) were evaluated for rotational yield and N benefits to the following first-year wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and second-year barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) crops. Field experiments were initiated in 1997 and 1998 on a Riverdale silty clay soil at Winnipeg, Manitoba. Yield and N content of the following wheat crop were increased following legumes compared to wheat following a canola control. Wheat yield and N content averaged 2955 kg ha–1 and 76.1 kg ha–1, respectively, following the chickling vetch and lentil, 2456 kg ha–1 and 56.4 kg ha–1 following single-year hay legumes, compared with 1706 kg ha–1 and 37.9 kg ha–1 following canola. Non-dormant alfalfas (dormancy rating of eight or greater) contributed to larger grain yields than the dormant alfalfas only in the first year of each experiment. The chickling vetch and lentil provided similar or higher subsequent crop yields and N content for 2 yr compared to a canola control or fallow treatment. This study shows that some increase in yield can be achieved by using a single-year alfalfa hay crop instead of fallow; however, exclusive green manuring of chickling vetch and lentil crops can produce the most increase in yield and N uptake in subsequent crops. Key words: Alfalfa (single-year), legumes (annual), green manure, nitrogen, cropping system

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Adaptive Traits to Improve Durum Wheat Yield in Drought and Crown Rot Environments

International Journal of Molecular Sciences ◽

10.3390/ijms21155260 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 21 (15) ◽

pp. 5260 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Samir Alahmad ◽

Yichen Kang ◽

Eric Dinglasan ◽

Elisabetta Mazzucotelli ◽

Kai P. Voss-Fels ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Durum Wheat ◽

Field Experiments ◽

Triticum Turgidum ◽

Association Studies ◽

Wheat Yield ◽

Crown Rot ◽

Physiological Traits ◽

Yield Potential ◽

Genome Wide Association Studies ◽

Stay Green

Durum wheat (Triticum turgidum L. ssp. durum) production can experience significant yield losses due to crown rot (CR) disease. Losses are usually exacerbated when disease infection coincides with terminal drought. Durum wheat is very susceptible to CR, and resistant germplasm is not currently available in elite breeding pools. We hypothesize that deploying physiological traits for drought adaptation, such as optimal root system architecture to reduce water stress, might minimize losses due to CR infection. This study evaluated a subset of lines from a nested association mapping population for stay-green traits, CR incidence and yield in field experiments as well as root traits under controlled conditions. Weekly measurements of normalized difference vegetative index (NDVI) in the field were used to model canopy senescence and to determine stay-green traits for each genotype. Genome-wide association studies using DArTseq molecular markers identified quantitative trait loci (QTLs) on chromosome 6B (qCR-6B) associated with CR tolerance and stay-green. We explored the value of qCR-6B and a major QTL for root angle QTL qSRA-6A using yield datasets from six rainfed environments, including two environments with high CR disease pressure. In the absence of CR, the favorable allele for qSRA-6A provided an average yield advantage of 0.57 t·ha−1, whereas in the presence of CR, the combination of favorable alleles for both qSRA-6A and qCR-6B resulted in a yield advantage of 0.90 t·ha−1. Results of this study highlight the value of combining above- and belowground physiological traits to enhance yield potential. We anticipate that these insights will assist breeders to design improved durum varieties that mitigate production losses due to water deficit and CR.

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The Nitrogen Use Efficiency: Meaning and Sources of Variation—Case Studies on Three Vegetable Crops in Central Italy

HortTechnology ◽

10.21273/horttech.21.3.266 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 21 (3) ◽

pp. 266-273 ◽

Cited By ~ 32

Author(s):

Paolo Benincasa ◽

Marcello Guiducci ◽

Francesco Tei

Keyword(s):

Field Experiments ◽

N Uptake ◽

Irrigation Management ◽

Central Italy ◽

Utilization Efficiency ◽

Fertilizer N ◽

Application Method ◽

N Concentration ◽

Sources Of Variation ◽

Use Efficiency

Nitrogen (N) use efficiency (NUE) of crops is examined by taking into account both plant N uptake efficiency, focusing on the recovery of fertilizer-N, and the utilization efficiency of the absorbed N. The latter is further analyzed as the overall effect of the absorbed N on crop leaf area, light absorption, photosynthesis, crop growth, biomass partitioning, and yield. The main sources of variation for the NUE of crops are considered, and several of them are discussed based on results from field experiments carried out at the University of Perugia (central Italy) between 1991 and 2008 on sweet pepper (Capsicum annuum), lettuce (Lactuca sativa), and processing tomato (Solanum lycopersicum). More specifically, the effects of species, cultivar, fertilizer-N rate, form and application method (mineral and organic fertilization, green manuring, fertigation frequency), and sink limitation are reported. Implications for residual N in the soil and leaching risks are also discussed. The fertilizer-N rate is the main factor affecting crop NUE for a given irrigation management and rainfall regime. Indeed, avoiding over fertilization is the first and primary means to match a high use efficiency and economic return of fertilizer-N with limited environmental risks from nitrate leaching. The form and application method of fertilizer-N also may affect the NUE, especially in the case of limiting or overabundant N supply. Particularly, high fertigation frequency increased the recovery of fertilizer-N by the crop. It is suggested that species-specific curves for critical N concentration (i.e., the minimum N concentration that allows the maximum growth) can be the reference to calibrate the quick tests used to guide dynamic fertilization management, which is essential to achieve both the optimal crop N nutritional status and the maximum NUE.

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Foliar fungicide application as management strategie to minimize the growing threat of yellow rust on wheat in Portugal

Emirates Journal of Food and Agriculture ◽

10.9755/ejfa.2018.v30.i9.1793 ◽

2018 ◽

pp. 715

Author(s):

Conceição Gomes, Ana Sofia Almeida, José Coutinho, Rita Costa, Nuno Pinheiro ◽

João Coco, Armindo Costa, Ana Sofia Bagulho and Benvindo Maçãs

Keyword(s):

Durum Wheat ◽

Field Experiments ◽

Escape Behavior ◽

Puccinia Striiformis ◽

Yellow Rust ◽

Wheat Yield ◽

Genetic Resistance ◽

Kernel Weight ◽

Wheat Varieties ◽

Fungicide Application

Yellow rust caused by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici, is a foliar wheat disease that cause significant yield losses in Portuguese bread and durum wheat yield, mainly in recent years. The strategies to disease control include cultural practices (crop rotation, use of balanced fertilizers, framework of planting dates), use of resistant varieties and fungicide application. The concern of modern plant breeding has been the improvement of new varieties with escape behavior to diseases and/or genetic resistance, but currently, the use of chemical produts offers a pratical and rapid response solution to combat rust outbreaks. In the present study, field experiments were conducted from 2013/2014 to 2016/2017 growing seasons to evaluate: 1) resistance levels against yellow rust in some bread and durum wheat varieties widely used by Portuguese farmers; 2) the opportunity of application of fungicide in the control of Puccinia striiformis in two stages of plant development; 3) gains obtained in each situation in yield and thousand kernel weight (TKW) compared to the control without fungicide application. This study allows to conclude that the need to use fungicide sprays it´s related not only on the carry over of rust inoculum in crop, but also of the races/strains of P. striiformis occurring in a region, the crop growth stage at time of symptom appearance and on variety level of resistance.

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Effects of rhizopheric nitric oxide (NO) on N uptake inFagus sylvaticaseedlings depend on soil CO2concentration, soil N availability and N source

Tree Physiology ◽

10.1093/treephys/tpv051 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 35 (8) ◽

pp. 910-920 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Fang Dong ◽

Judy Simon ◽

Michael Rienks ◽

Christian Lindermayr ◽

Heinz Rennenberg

Keyword(s):

Nitric Oxide ◽

N Uptake ◽

N Availability ◽

Soil N ◽

Soil N Availability ◽

N Source

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Ecological Controls on N<sub>2</sub>O Emission in Surface Litter and Near-surface Soil of a Managed Pasture: Modelling and Measurements

10.5194/bg-2015-621 ◽

2016 ◽

Author(s):

R. F. Grant ◽

A. Neftel ◽

P. Calanca

Keyword(s):

Field Experiments ◽

Surface Soil ◽

N Uptake ◽

Terrestrial Ecosystems ◽

Sensitivity Study ◽

N2o Emissions ◽

N Availability ◽

Large Variability ◽

Near Surface ◽

Intensively Managed

Abstract. Large variability in N2O emissions from managed grasslands may occur because most emissions originate in surface litter or near-surface soil where variability in soil water content (θ) and temperature (Ts) is greatest. To determine whether temporal variability in θ and Ts of surface litter and near-surface soil could explain that in N2O emissions, a simulation experiment was conducted with ecosys, a comprehensive mathematical model of terrestrial ecosystems in which processes governing N2O emissions were represented at high temporal and spatial resolution. Model performance was verified by comparing N2O emissions, CO2 and energy exchange, and θ and Ts modelled by ecosys with those measured by automated chambers, eddy covariance (EC) and soil sensors at an hourly time-scale during several emission events from 2004 to 2009 in an intensively managed pasture at Oensingen, Switzerland. Both modelled and measured events were induced by precipitation following harvesting and subsequent fertilizing or manuring. These events were brief (2 – 5 days) with maximum N2O effluxes that varied from < 1 mg N m-2 h-1 in early spring and autumn to > 3 mg N m-2 h-1 in summer. Only very small emissions were modelled or measured outside these events. In the model, emissions were generated almost entirely in surface litter or near-surface (0 – 2 cm) soil, at rates driven by N availability with fertilization vs. N uptake with grassland regrowth, and by O2 limitation from wetting relative to O2 demand from respiration. In the model, NOx availability relative to O2 limitation governed both the reduction of more oxidized electron acceptors to N2O and the reduction of N2O to N2, so that the magnitude of N2O emissions was not simply related to surface and near-surface θ and Ts. Modelled N2O emissions were found to be sensitive to defoliation intensity and timing (relative to that of fertilization) which controlled plant N uptake and soil θ and Ts prior to and during emission events. In a model sensitivity study, reducing LAI remaining after defoliation to one-half that under current practice and delaying harvesting by 5 days raised N2O emissions by as much as 80% during subsequent events and by an average of 43% annually. The global warming potential from annual N2O emissions in this intensively managed grassland largely offset those from net C uptake in both modelled and field experiments. However model results indicated that this offset could be adversely affected by suboptimal harvest intensity and timing.

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Agronomic Strategies to Improve N Efficiency Indices in Organic Durum Wheat Grown in Mediterranean Area

Plants ◽

10.3390/plants10112444 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (11) ◽

pp. 2444

Author(s):

Federica Carucci ◽

Giuseppe Gatta ◽

Anna Gagliardi ◽

Pasquale De Vita ◽

Simone Bregaglio ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Grain Yield ◽

Durum Wheat ◽

Foliar Application ◽

N Uptake ◽

Utilization Efficiency ◽

Organic N ◽

Sodium Selenate ◽

N Availability ◽

Wheat Varieties ◽

Yield Increase

Organic farming systems are often constrained by limited soil nitrogen (N) availability. Here we evaluated the effect of foliar organic N and sulphur (S), and selenium (Se) application on durum wheat, considering N uptake, utilization efficiency (NUtE), grain yield, and protein concentration as target variables. Field trials were conducted in 2018 and 2019 on two old (Cappelli and old Saragolla) and two modern (Marco Aurelio and Nadif) Italian durum wheat varieties. Four organic fertilization strategies were evaluated, i.e., the control (CTR, dry blood meal at sowing), the application of foliar N (CTR + N) and S (CTR + S), and their joint use (CTR + NS). Furthermore, a foliar application of sodium selenate was evaluated. Three factors—variety, fertilization strategies and selenium application—were arranged in a split-split-plot design and tested in two growing seasons. The modern variety Marco Aurelio led to the highest NUtE and grain yield in both seasons. S and N applications had a positive synergic effect, especially under drought conditions, on pre-anthesis N uptake, N translocation, NUtE, and grain yield. Se treatment improved post-anthesis N uptake and NUtE, leading to 17% yield increase in the old variety Cappelli, and to 13% and 14% yield increase in Marco Aurelio and Nadif, mainly attributed to NUtE increase. This study demonstrated that the synergistic effect of foliar applications could improve organic durum wheat yields in Mediterranean environments, especially on modern varieties.

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