McCaig, T. N. 1997. Temperature and precipitation effects on durum wheat grown in southern Saskatchewan for fifty years. Can. J. Plant Sci. 77: [215][216][217][218][219][220][221][222][223]. Approximately 60% of Canadian durum wheat (Triticum turgidum L.) is produced in the semi-arid, Brown soil zone of southern Saskatchewan. The Durum Wheat Cooperative Test (DWCT) provides the means of evaluating potential new cultivars, and has been grown at Swift Current, located near the centre of the Brown soil zone in Saskatchewan, for more than 50 yr. Historical yield-related data from the DWCT were analyzed in conjunction with daily precipitation and maximum daily temperature (MaxDT) data with the objective of improving our understanding of the effects of these weather variables on durum wheat grown in this semi-arid region.The highest correlation between the weather variables and grain yield was during the period near the end of June through early July, approximately the time of anthesis. The correlation with kernel number m -2 (KNum) was maximum near the end of June, while the correlation with kernel weight was highest around the third week of July. The maximum effect of these weather factors in limiting yield in the Brown soil zone was through an impact on KNum around anthesis. Hectolitre weight and time-to-maturity appeared to be influenced mainly by the weather in July, while crop height was determined by the weather near the end of June. An analysis which examined cumulative heat-units above threshold MaxDT of 20, 24, 28 and 32°C indicated that temperatures >24°C may be detrimental during early June although high temperatures are less common in June than in July. Yield was also negatively impacted by temperatures >20°C during the first 3 wk of July.Future yield gains in this semi-arid region may be dependent upon the development of cultivars which are more tolerant of drought and high-temperature stress at anthesis.
Key words:Triticum turgidum, kernel number, kernel weight, height, maturity, hectolitre weight McCaig, T. N. 1997. Effets de la température et des précipitations sur la croissance du blé dur dans le sud de la Saskatchewan au cours des 50 dernières années. Can. J. Plant Sci. 77: 215-223. Quelque 60% des emblavures de blé dur (Triticum turgidum L.) produit au Canada le sont dans la zone semi-aride des sols bruns du sud de la Saskatchewan. L'essai coopératif de variétés de blé dur (ECBD), le moyen actuellement utilisé pour l'évaluation des nouveaux cultivars est notamment conduit depuis plus de 50 ans à Swift Current, ville située presque au centre de la zone des sols bruns de la province. Nous avons analysé les données historiques de rendement obtenues dans le ECBD, en regard des données météorologiques : précipitations et maxima de température (TJMax) journalier, dans le but d'améliorer notre compréhension des effets de ces variables météorologiques sur le blé dur cultivé dans la région. Les plus fortes corrélations entre les variables météorologiques et le rendement en grain étaient observées dans la p...