Management of Nitrogen Fertilizer in Monoculture Wheat System under Mediterranean Climate Conditions

Abstract

The production of durum wheat in Algeria is hardly sufficient for the growing demand for this product. Dependent on climatic hazards, the national average yields which hardly exceed 10 q ha-1, are mainly due to a lack of mastery of production techniques such as fertilization, plant protection, supplemental irrigation, etc. The aim of the undertaken experimentation was to constitute a nitrogen fertilization strategy for durum wheat that fit the region of the plains of Constantine in Algeria. Based on the form of fertilizer, the method, and the time of application, the experimentation profited from good soil and good climatic conditions. For that, we established an experimental device including various methods of contribution: ground and foliar nitrogen fertilizers, split or fully applied at-planting. The analysis of growth parameters and yield components showed that any nitrogen input results in improvements whatever its form or modality. Moreover, the method with a single application of nitrogen fertilizer at-planting on the ground was most efficient for the whole of the studied parameters, except the length of the ear where we observed the best result with foliar supply.