Effect of Simulating Drought in Various Phenophases on the Water Use Efficiency of Winter Wheat

In Central Europe, drought is the most important limiting factor for autumn‐sown cereals. Due to the decline in groundwater, it is a priority to use less water‐demanding forms of crop production. Water use efficiency (WUE) can only be increased if cultivars with satisfactory water management traits are grown, so that they can exploit the water reserves of the soil even if drought occurs during the vegetation. Water consumption and water use efficiency of winter wheat genotypes were investigated in a model experiment carried out in a climate‐controlled glasshouse. The plants were grown either with optimum water supplies or with simulated drought in three phenophases, and measurements were made on the yield parameters, phenological traits and water use parameters of the plants. Substantial differences were observed between the water demands of the cultivars, and it was found that the later the phenophase in which drought was simulated, the greater the decline in water uptake. The analysis of WUE led to the conclusion that the WUE values of cultivars with short vegetation periods dropped to the greatest extent when water deficit was suffered at first node appearance, while cultivars with longer vegetation periods were more sensitive to drought during the heading and grain‐filling stages.