Dry-period irrigation and fertilizer application affect water use and yield of spring wheat in semi-arid regions

Based on a field study on the semi-arid Loess Plateau of China, the strategies of limited irrigation in farmland in dry-period of normal-precipitation years are studied, and the effects on water use and grain yield of spring wheat of dry-period irrigation and fertilizer application when sowing are examined. The study includes four treatments: (1) with 90 mm dry-period irrigation but without fertilizer application (W); (2) with fertilizer application but without dry-period irrigation (F); (3) with 90 mm dry-period irrigation plus fertilizer application (WF); (4) without dry-period irrigation and fertilizer application (CK). The results indicate that dry-period irrigation resulted in larger and deeper root systems and larger leaf area index (LAI) compared with the non-irrigated treatments. The root/shoot ratio (R/S) in the irrigated treatments was significantly higher than in the non-irrigated treatments. The grain yields in F, W and WF are 1509, 2712 and 3291 kg ha⁻¹, respectively, which are 13.7, 104.3 and 147.9% higher than that (1328 kg ha⁻¹) of CK, and at the same time the grain yields in W and WF are also significantly higher than in F. Water use efficiencies (WUE) in terms of grain yield are 5.70 and 6.91 kg ha⁻¹ mm⁻¹ in W and WF, respectively, being 65.7 and 101.1% higher than that (3.44 kg ha⁻¹ mm⁻¹) of CK. The highest WUE and grain yield consistently occurred in WF, suggesting that the combination of dry-period irrigation and fertilizer application has a beneficial effect on improving WUE and grain yield of spring wheat.     

Grain yield and water use efficiency of two types of winter wheat cultivars under different water regimes

To improve grain yields of winter wheat and water-use efficiency in the water-shortage region of the North China Plain (NCP), field experiments involving three irrigation levels and two types of winter-wheat cultivars (Shijiazhuang 8 and Xifeng 20, with moderate and strongly drought tolerance, respectively) were conducted over three growing seasons with different levels of precipitation. The results showed that irrigation significantly improved the grain yield of both wheat cultivars. The response of grain yield was largest in the dry year, followed by the normal and wet years. Shijiazhuang 8 responded more strongly than Xifeng 20. Compared to aboveground biomass under no irrigation treatment, the aboveground biomass of Shijiazhuang 8 and Xifeng 20 improved by 87.0% and 57.8%, respectively, in a dry year, by 27.2% and 18.3%, respectively, in a normal year, and by 13.7% and 11.7%, respectively, in a humid year when irrigation were applied twice. The total water use (TWU) of the two cultivars also increased upon irrigation. The increase was more pronounced in the dry year than in the normal or humid years. However, there were no significant differences in the TWUs of the two cultivars. The water-use efficiency at grain-yield level (WUE_y) of Shijiazhuang 8 increased significantly upon irrigation in the dry year, did not change in the normal year, and showed a clear decline in the humid year, while the WUE_y of Xifeng 20 was reduced by irrigation in each of the three growing seasons. The harvest index (HI) was not altered by irrigation but it did vary by growing season. The HI of Shijiazhuang 8 was always higher than that of Xifeng 20. A positive correlation was found between both the WUE_y and the water-use efficiency at the aboveground-biomass level (WUE_bm) and the HI. This suggests that the changes in WUE_y as a result of irrigation are mainly due to changes in the WUE_bm and that the differences in WUE_y between the two cultivars were due to differences in WUE_bm and HI. These results suggest the following. (1) The TWUs in the two cultivars were roughly equal, although their levels of drought tolerance differed. (2) A wheat cultivar with moderate drought tolerance is expected to be more suitable for the semi-arid region of the NCP. The variety with strongly drought tolerance was able to keep its biomass high and to maintain grain yield under serious drought stress. (3) In order to both increase grain yield and WUE_y, two irrigations in a dry year, one irrigation in a normal year, and no irrigation in a humid year will give optimal results in the studied region.     

Canopy-air temperature differentials,water use and yield of chickpea in a semi-arid environment

Summary Stress degree days (SDD) and canopy-air temperature differential summation procedures were used to quantify the response of crops of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) to soil water availability and atmospheric demand over a four year period on a deep and medium-deep Vertisol in India using different irrigation treatments and planting dates. Canopy temperatures measured between 13.00–14.00 h provided a good index of the daily mean canopy temperature. Differences in the diurnal variation in the canopy-air temperature differentials between irrigated and non-irrigated chickpea reflected clearly the differential response of the crop to soil water availability. Total water use of chickpea decreased with increasing SDD. Data pooled over three growing seasons showed a close relationship between SDD and yield of chickpea. Calculated water stress index (WSI) which includes the vapor pressure deficit term showed a similar relationship with yield to that with SDD.Approved for publication as ICRISAT Journal Article 580(Via Paris)     

Effect of different water supply regimes on growth and size hierarchy in spring wheat populations under mulched with clear plastic film

This study was conducted to determine the effect of water supply regimes and plastic film mulching on the harvest index (HI), reproductive allocation (RA) and size hierarchy in spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) populations, and to explore their mechanism in relation to size hierarchy and life-history strategies.The grain yield, biological yield (aboveground biomass), HI and RA of spring wheat decreased significantly (p < 0.001) along the water control gradient (irrigative amount decreased 132 → 66 → 0 mm) either mulching or non-mulching, size hierarchy (as measured by the Gini coefficient (G) of aboveground biomass per plant) always increased. HI and RA in mulching treatment were significantly lower than non-mulching (p < 0.05). Meanwhile, the number and weight of barren shoots and the ratio of barren shoot biomass to total shoot biomass were significantly greater (p < 0.05) in mulched populations than non-mulched controls both at booting, flowering and ripening stages. RA and HI were both negatively correlated to average G of the populations. These results suggested that size hierarchies in spring wheat populations are closely correlated with the water regime in the field, and that under greater drought stress there are relatively smaller plants with lower HI (size-dependent reproductive allocation). Size hierarchy is an index of competitive status in plant populations under stress environments. Agriculturally, greater size hierarchy may result in growth redundancy, which is detrimental to reproductive allocation and consequently, grain yield. The results support the view that stand uniformity in field crops is an important mechanism for increasing grain yield.From tilling to ripening stages, the tendency of Gini coefficient (G) shows obvious differences between mulched populations and non-mulched controls. At booting and flowering, the G was significantly higher in mulched populations than non-mulched controls, and it was just contrary at ripening.Appreciable growth redundancy occurred in spring wheat populations mulched with plastic film, which may result from the exacerbated interplant competition and self-thinning. Thus, spring wheat cultivation with plastic film mulching does not always mean high-efficiency, although there is a remarkable increase in grain yields.     

Effects of irrigation regimes on the yield and water use of strawberry

Summary Strawberry plants (Fragaria x annanasa D. cv Chandler) were grown in field plots and in drainage lysimeters under controlled soil moisture regimes. Four irrigation treatments were established by watering the plants when soil water potential reached -0.01, -0.03,-0.05 and -0.07 MPa. The maximum yield was attained at -0.01 MPa soil water potential. Differences in yield were caused by both changes in the number of fruits per plant and in the fresh weight per fruit. Yield reductions were associated with reductions in total assimilation rate resulting from the decreased assimilatory surface area in plants irrigated at lower soil water potentials. The crop water production function calculated on a fruit fresh weight basis resulted in a yield response factor (K _y) of 1.01.     

喷灌施氮管理对春玉米产量及水氮利用的影响

为探究东北半湿润区喷灌水肥一体化条件下春玉米最佳施氮管理模式,于2017年在东北地区开展了不同喷灌施氮管理对春玉米生长、产量及水氮利用效率的田间试验研究.试验设置了3个总施氮量:N200(200 kg/hm²),N160(160 kg/hm²)和N120(120 kg/hm²),其中播种时统一埋施氮肥60 kg/hm²,苗期统一喷施氮肥10 kg/hm²,其余在拔节期和灌浆期按照3种施氮比例T1(1∶0),T2(2∶1)和T3(3∶1)通过水肥一体化喷施施入.结果表明:T1获得了最高的氮肥偏生产力、氮素收获指数和水分利用效率.增加施氮量能够促进产量的增加,但N200和N160的平均产量差异不具有统计学意义(P>0.05).所有处理中T1N200的产量最高,为12 489 kg/hm²;T1N160处理的氮收获指数最大,为74.98 kg/kg.施氮量增加,氮肥偏生产力随之降低,0~100 cm土壤内的硝态氮残留量随之增多.T1处理的平均硝态氮残留量最少,降低了氮素淋失的风险.综合考虑,推荐该地区采用总施氮量160~200 kg/hm²,其中播种期施基肥60 kg/hm²,苗期追施10 kg/hm²,其余在拔节期全部追施的施氮管理模式.     

Effects of water table management on soil salinity and alfalfa yield in a semi-arid climate

A lysimeter experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of water table management (WTM) on distribution of soil salinity and annual alfalfa (Medicago scutellata) yield. Subirrigations with three levels of water table namely, 0.5 (WT0.5), 0.7 (WT0.7), and 1.0 m (WT1.0) and a free drainage (FD) conventional irrigation treatment were selected for this study. All treatments were arranged in a complete randomized block design with three replicates. The results of this study indicated that the average soil electrical conductivity of the saturated extract (ECe) in the root zone gradually increased and exceeded the designated crop threshold value (4 dS/m) after the first forage harvest in subirrigated lysimeters. A higher salt accumulation was observed at the WT0.5 treatment. The average dry matter yield of annual alfalfa in WT0.5 and WT0.7 treatments was found to be 52 and 73% higher compared with the control treatment, respectively.     

Grain yield,yield components,drought sensitivity and water use efficiency of spring wheat subjected to water stress at various growth stages

Summary The influence of water stress at various growth stages on yield and yield structure of spring wheat (Triticum aestivum, L., cv. Sappo) was investigated using lysimeters in the field, automatically protected from rain by a mobile glass roof. Each drought treatment consisted of a single period without irrigation. Irrigation was resumed when all available soil water (100 mm between field capacity and permanent wilting to a depth of 100 cm) had been used. The drought periods were defined as beginning when relative evapotranspiration decreased below one and ending at reirrigation. The first drought occurred during tillering and jointing and the final one during grain formation.     

Effects of winter wheat row spacing on evapotranpsiration, grain yield and water use efficiency

A field study was conducted from 2002 to 2007 to investigate the influence of row spacing of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) on soil evaporation (E), evapotranspiration (ET), grain production and water use efficiency (WUE) in the North China Plain. The experiment had four row spacing treatments, 7.5 cm, 15 cm, 22.5 cm, and 30 cm, with plots randomly arranged in four replicates. Soil E was measured by micro-lysimeters in three seasons and ET was calculated from measurements of soil profile water depletion, irrigation, and rainfall. The results showed that E increased with row spacing. Compared with the 30-cm row spacing (average E = 112 mm), the reduction in seasonal E averaged 9 mm, 25 mm, and 26 mm for 22.5 cm, 15 cm, and 7.5 cm row spacings, respectively. Crop transpiration (T) increased as row spacing decreased. The seasonal rainfall interception and seasonal ET were relatively unchanged among the treatments. In three out of five seasons, the four different treatments showed similar grain yield, yield components and WUE. We conclude that for winter wheat production in the North China Plain, narrow row spacing reduced soil evaporation, but had minor improvements on grain production and WUE under irrigated conditions with adequate nutrient levels.     

Water use of spring wheat to raise water productivity

In semi-arid environments with a shortage of water resources and a risk of overexplotation of water supplies, spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is a crop that can reduce water use and increase water productivity, because it takes advantage of spring rainfall and is harvested before the evaporative demands of summer. We carried out an experiment in 2003 at “Las Tiesas” farm, located between Barrax and Albacete (Central Spain), to improve accuracy in the estimation of wheat evapotranspiration (ETc) by using a weighing lysimeter. The measured seasonal ETc averages (5.63 mm day⁻¹) measured in the lysimeter was 417 mm compared to the calculated ETc values (5.31 mm day⁻¹) calculated with the standard FAO methodology of 393 mm. The evapotranspiration crop coefficient (Kc) derived from lysimetric measurements was Kc-mid: 1.20 and Kc-end: 0.15. The daily lysimeter Kc values were fit to the evolution linearly related to the green cover fraction (fc), which follows the crop development pattern. Seasonal soil evaporation was estimated as 135 mm and the basal crop coefficient approach was calculated in this study, Kcb which separates crop transpiration from soil evaporation (evaporation coefficient, Ke) was calculated and related to the green cover fraction (fc) and the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) obtained by field radiometry in case of wheat. The results obtained by this research will permit the reduction of water use and improvement of water productivity for wheat, which is of vital importance in areas of limited water resources.     

Dry matter,harvest index,grain yield and water use efficiency as affected by water supply in winter wheat

Food production and water use are closely linked processes and, as competition for water intensifies, water must be used more efficiently in food production worldwide. A field experiment with wither wheat (Triticum Aestivum L.), involving six irrigation treatments (from rain-fed to 5 irrigation applications), was maintained in the North China Plain (NCP) for 6 years. The results revealed that dry matter production, grain yield and water use efficiency (WUE) were each curvilinearly related to evapotranspiration (ET). Maximum dry matter at maturity was achieved by irrigating to 94% and maximum grain yield to 84% of seasonal full ET. A positive relationship was found between harvest index (HI) and dry matter mobilization efficiency (DMME) during grain filling. Moderate water deficit during grain filling increased mobilization of assimilate stored in vegetative tissues to grains, resulting in greater grain yield and WUE. Generally, high WUE corresponded with low ET, being highest at about half potential ET. At this location in NCP, highest WUE and grain yield was obtained at seasonal water consumption in the range 250–420 mm. For that, with average seasonal rainfall of 132 mm, irrigation requirements was in the range of 120–300 mm and due to the deep root system of winter wheat and high water-holding capacity of the soil profile, soil moisture depletion of 100–150 mm constituted the greater part of the ET under limited water supply. The results reveal that WUE was maximized when around 35% ET was obtained from soil moisture depletion. For that, seasonal irrigation was around 60–140 mm in an average season.     

Water use and wheat yields in northern India under different irrigation regimes

Field studies were conducted during a 3-year period to determine wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) yield in response to irrigation scheduling and variable fertilization.Irrigation scheduling was done on the basis of cumulative pan evaporation. Irrigations were given at 25, 50 and 75% available water in the top 60 cm soil profile. The amount of irrigation water applied at each irrigation was equivalent to 75% of the cumulative open pan evaporation. The crop was fertilized at the rate of 0, 60, and 120 kg/ha nitrogen.The yield of wheat was significantly affected by irrigation water and nitrogen treatments. Maximum yield was obtained with irrigation at 50% available soil water and 120 kg/ha nitrogen addition (5092 kg/ha). Consumptive use of water was maximum when irrigation was applied at 75% available soil water. The irrigation at 50% available soil water, however, resulted in greatest yield per cm water use by the crop.     

Effect of mulching on soil and plant water status, and the growth and yield of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in a semi-arid environment

Mulching is one of the important agronomic practices in conserving the soil moisture and modifying the soil physical environment. Wheat, the second most important cereal crop in India, is sensitive to soil moisture stress. Field experiments were conducted during winter seasons of 2004-2005 and 2005-2006 in a sandy loam soil to evaluate the soil and plant water status in wheat under synthetic (transparent and black polyethylene) and organic (rice husk) mulches with limited irrigation and compared with adequate irrigation with no mulch (conventional practices by the farmers). Though all the mulch treatments improved the soil moisture status, rice husk was found to be superior in maintaining optimum soil moisture condition for crop use. The residual soil moisture was also minimum, indicating effective utilization of moisture by the crop under RH. The plant water status, as evaluated by relative water content and leaf water potential were favourable under RH. Specific leaf weight, root length density and dry biomass were also greater in this treatment. Optimum soil and canopy thermal environment of wheat with limited fluctuations were observed under RH, even during dry periods. This produced comparable yield with less water use, enhancing the water use efficiency. Therefore, it may be concluded that under limited irrigation condition, RH mulching will be beneficial for wheat as it is able to maintain better soil and plant water status, leading to higher grain yield and enhanced water use efficiency.     

Effects of different emitter space and water stress on yield and quality of processing tomato under semi-arid climate conditions

The objective of the study was to determine the effects of different emitter spaces and water stress on crop yield, such that the tomatoes would be suitable for processing and paste output (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill cv. Shasta). Such variables were also analyzed with respect to crop quality characteristics (e.g., mean fruit weight - MFW, fruit diameter - FD, penetration value of fruit - PV, pH, total soluble solids - TSS, and ascorbic acid contents - AA). The experiment was conducted under ecological conditions typical of the Konya Plain, a semi-arid climate, in 2004 and 2005. Drip irrigation laterals were arranged in such a way that every row had one lateral. Emitters were spaced at 25, 50, and 75 cm intervals in the main plots, while four levels of water supply, irrigation at 7-day intervals with enough water to fill the soil depth of 0-60 cm until capacity was reached (I₁), and 25, 50, and 75% decreased water supply levels were applied as subplots of the experiment. Results of the field experiments showed that yield suitable for processing (68.7-72.7 t ha⁻¹) and paste output (12.2-12.9 t ha⁻¹) were obtainable under conditions of I₁ application (p < 0.01). MFW, FD, PV, and TSS were significantly affected from treatments (p < 0.05). High stress resulted in the highest soluble solids. The total irrigation water amount and water consumptive use of the mentioned application (I₁) were determined as 426 and 525 mm in 2004. In 2005, the total irrigation water amount and water consumptive use of the same treatment were 587 and 619 mm, respectively.     

Studies on the nitrogen and water relations of wheat II. Effects of varying nitrogen and water supply on growth and grain yield

Summary Wheat was grown in field and glasshouse experiments to assess the effect of nitrogen fertilizer on yield when water stress occurred in the later half of the growth. N application was deferred until the main culm apex of the plant was at the double-ridge stage of development. In the glasshouse water stress was imposed by altering the watering regime; in the field it was anticipated as naturally occurring and compared to an irrigated control. The response to deferred N was much stronger at adequate water supply giving rise to a significant positive N X W interaction effect. This positive N X W interaction was shown by number of ears, leaf area index, green area duration, water use and root growth, as well as grain yield. In both the glasshouse and field, N increased post-anthesis green area duration (PGD) which was highly correlated with grain yield, but since the components of grain yield determining the response to N were largely established by anthesis (number of ears), PGD does not appear to increase grain yield, which was rather caused by increased survival of tillers. In concert with its effect on PGD, deferred N resulted in greater root survival and/or growth at deeper layers late in the season. Water stress as measured in these experiments was insufficient to cause decreases in yield from use of N at low water supply. However, in the field nitrogen application did lower plant water potential late in the growing season.     

Effects of elevated CO2 concentration,irrigation and nitrogenous fertilizer application on the growth and yield of spring wheat in semi-arid areas

In this paper, we discuss the effect of elevated CO₂ concentration, irrigation and nitrogenous fertilizer application on the growth and yield of spring wheat in semi-arid areas. A field experiment was conducted at the Dingxi Agricultural Experiment Station during 2000–2002. According to the experimental design, the CO₂ concentration increased to 14.5, 40 and 54.5 μmol mol⁻¹, respectively, by NH₄HCO₃ (involving CO₂) application, direct application of CO₂ gas and combination of fertilizer NH₄HCO₃ plus CO₂ application, which are equal to CO₂ concentration of the Earth's atmosphere in the next 5, 15 and 20 years. The fertilizer application was divided into three levels: application of NH₃NO₃ (250 kg h m⁻²), NH₄HCO₃ (500 kg h m⁻²) and no fertilizer. Irrigation was divided into two levels: with 90 mm irrigation in the growth period and without irrigation. They can be combined as eight treatments. Each treatment was replicated three times. The results showed that elevated CO₂ concentration owing to CO₂ application leads to remarkable increase in leaf area index (LAI) and shoot biomass, and also generates the higher value of leaf area duration (LAD) that can benefit the photosynthesis in the growth stage and yield increase in crop compared than the no CO₂ application treatment. When CO₂ concentration elevated by 14.5, 40 and 54.5 μmol mol⁻¹ with irrigation and fertilization, correspondingly, the grain yield increased by 6.3, 13.1 and 19.8%, respectively, whereas without irrigation and fertilization, the grain yield increased by only 4.2% when CO₂ concentration increased to 40 μmol mol⁻¹. Meanwhile, irrigation and fertilization can result in larger and deeper root system and have significantly positive influences on higher value of root/shoot (R/S) and water use efficiency. The grain yields in irrigation, irrigation plus NH₃NO₃ application and irrigation plus application of NH₄HCO₃ treatments are 73.4, 148.0 and 163.6% higher than that of no-irrigated and no-fertilized treatment, suggesting that both irrigation and fertilizer application contribute to remarkable increase of crop yield. In all treatments, the highest water use efficiency (WUE, 7.24 kg h m⁻² mm⁻¹) and grain yield (3286 kg h m⁻²) consistently occurred in the treatment with 90 mm irrigation plus fertilizer NH₄HCO₃ and elevated CO₂ concentration (54.5 μmol mol⁻¹), suggesting that this combination has an integrated beneficial effect on improving WUE and grain yield of spring wheat. These results may offer help to maintain and increase the crop yields in semi-arid areas.     

Evaluating strategies for improved water use in spring wheat with CERES

More efficient use of water in agricultural systems is widely needed. However, most irrigated systems are characterized by heterogeneous climate and soil conditions that interact strongly with irrigation management, making optimal irrigation decisions difficult to achieve. Here we investigated the impact of reduced irrigations on spring wheat yields in the Yaqui Valley of Mexico, a region experiencing increased water scarcity. Two years of field experiments containing three irrigation treatments each were used to evaluate the CERES-wheat crop model, with good agreement between observed and modeled yields. The model was then used in a sensitivity analysis whereby seven irrigation strategies were applied across a range of possible soil and climatic conditions. Results indicated that yield losses from reduced irrigations depend greatly on year, corresponding to large variations in rainfall between growing seasons. Estimates of the best timing strategy for a given number of irrigations were more robust with respect to climate variability. Soils also exhibited a strong interaction with irrigation, with the difference between initial soil moisture and wilting point deemed particularly important in this system. The optimal economic strategy was determined for each hypothetical soil based on the observed historical distribution of growing season climatic conditions. The results of this study demonstrate the need to consider soil and climate variability when interpreting experimental results, and the ability of the CERES model to serve this need by quantifying the relative importance of different heterogeneous factors.     

Effects of rainfall harvesting and mulching technologies on water use efficiency and crop yield in the semi-arid Loess Plateau, China

In semi-arid areas, crop growth is greatly limited by water. Amount of available water in soil can be increased by surface mulching and other soil management practices. Field experiments were conducted in 2005 and 2006 at Gaolan, Gansu, China, to determine the influence of ridge and furrow rainfall harvesting system (RFRHS), surface mulching and supplementary irrigation (SI) in various combinations on rainwater harvesting, amount of moisture in soil, water use efficiency (WUE), biomass yield of sweet sorghum (Sorghum bicolour L.) and seed yield of maize (Zea mays L.). In conventional fields without RFRHS, gravel-sand mulching produced higher biomass yield than plastic-mulching or straw-mulching. In plastic-mulched fields, an increasing amount of supplemental irrigation was needed to improve crop yield. There was no effect of RFRHS without plastic-covered ridge on rainwater harvesting when natural precipitation was less than 5 mm per event. This was due to little runoff of rainwater from frequent low precipitation showers, and most of the harvested rainwater gathered at the soil surface is lost to evaporation. In the RFRHS, crop yield and WUE were higher with plastic-covered ridges than bare ridges, and also higher with gravel-sand-mulched furrows than bare furrows in most cases, or straw-mulched furrows in some cases. This was most likely due to decreased evaporation with plastic or gravel-sand mulch. In the RFRHS with plastic-covered ridges and gravel-sand-mulched furrows, application of 30 mm supplemental irrigation produced the highest yield and WUE for sweet sorghum and maize in most cases. In conclusion, the findings suggested the integrated use of RFRHS, mulching and supplementary irrigation to improve rainwater availability for high sustainable crop yield. However, the high additional costs of supplemental irrigation and construction of RFRHS for rainwater harvesting need to be considered before using these practices on a commercial scale.     

Deficit irrigation and nitrogen effects on seed cotton yield, water productivity and yield response factor in shallow soils of semi-arid environment

A field experiment was conducted for 2 years to investigate the effects of deficit irrigation, nitrogen and plant growth minerals on seed cotton yield, water productivity and yield response factor. The treatment comprises six levels of deficit irrigation (Etc 1.0, 0.9, 0.8, 0.7, 0.6 and 0.5) and four levels of nitrogen (80, 120, 160 and 200 kg N ha⁻¹). These were treatments superimposed with and without plant growth mineral spray. Furrow irrigation treatments were also kept. Cotton variety Ankur-651 Bt was grown during 2006 and 2007 cotton season. Drip irrigation at 1.0 Etc saved 26.9% water and produced 43.1% higher seed cotton yield over conventional furrow irrigation (1.0 Etc). Imposing irrigation deficit of 0.8 Etc caused significant reduction in seed cotton yield to the tune of 9.3% of the maximum yield. Further increase in deficit irrigation from 0.7 Etc to 0.5 Etc significantly decreased seed cotton yield over its subsequent higher irrigation level. Decline in the yield under deficit irrigation was associated with reduction in number of bolls plant⁻¹ and boll weight. Nitrogen at 200 kg ha⁻¹ significantly increased mean seed cotton yield by 36.3% over 80 kg N ha⁻¹. Seed cotton yield tended to increase linearly up to 200 kg N ha⁻¹ with drip Etc 0.8 to drip Etc 1.0. With drip Etc 0.6-0.5, N up to 160 kg ha⁻¹ provided the highest yield, thereafter it had declined. Foliar spray of plant growth mineral (PGM) brought about significant improvement in seed cotton yield by 14.1% over control. The water productivity ranged from 0.331 to 0.491 kg m⁻³ at different irrigation and N levels. On pooled basis, crop yield response factor of 0.87 was calculated at 20% irrigation deficit.     

Large-scale simulation of wheat yields in a semi-arid environment using a crop-growth model

The ability to predict wheat yields from large-scale weather variables has benefits throughout the semi-arid regions of the world. In spite of the availability of numerous crop-growth models, there has been little concerted effort to analyse yields regularly at spatial scales that are relevant to agronomic decision makers. As a result many current crop-growth models are research tools only. A large-scale wheat yield assessment procedure, based on the CERES Wheat model, has been developed for the semi-arid climate of Saskatchewan. It is suitable for simulating yields at the crop-district level, an area of about 2 million hectares containing several hundred farms having different soils, climates and management practices. Simulations of spring wheat growth, using this procedure, have revealed two critical periods (vegetative and ear growth) when lack of moisture has the greatest impact on grain yields. Knowledge of these times could be useful in devising early warning programmes for drought amelioration, combined with reliable long-term climate forecasts. Decisions made during these critical periods would affect farm management, marketing strategy and planning for the next growing season. ©