Water-use efficiency of wheat-based rotation systems in a Mediterranean environment

“…Therefore the comparison between the rain-fed and irrigated treatments showed that the yearly mean of sorghum cropping system decreases for DM in model III (21.81 t ha -1 rain-fed vs 27.84 t ha -1 irrigated) and for SY in model IV (2.63 t ha -1 rain-fed vs 9.22 t ha -1 irrigated) as a result of the reduction of the physiological efficiency of varieties to cope with the harsh weather conditions (Figure 2A; Table 5) (Pala et al, 2007).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of crop rotations of rain-fed and irrigated autumn-sown and spring-sown forage on milk feed unit and soil traits in the European Mediterranean environment

Martiniello

Claps

2014

Ital J Agronomy

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The aim of this study is to assess the agronomic effect of a threeyear continuous intensive double-crop cultivation of different varieties of legumes and grasses sown in autumn and grasses sown in spring under irrigated and rain-fed conditions in the European Union (EU) Mediterranean environment. Our experiment aimed to compare the dry matter (DM, t ha -1 ) and the milk feed unit (MFU, kg (DM) -1 ) from silage production and soil characteristics of popular autumn-sown Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) and spring-sown maize (Zea mays L.) compared with other crop system legume and grass varieties. The autumn and spring legume and grass varieties were grown under either rain-fed or irrigated conditions. The investigated traits, i.e. DM, MFU and organic carbon (OC, g kg -1 ), were influenced by the cropping system, the sowing time and the irrigation treatments. The mean total number of MFU ha -1 , derived from the potential silage yield of legume and grass autumn varieties, ranged from 4297 to 5895 MFU ha -1 under rain-fed conditions and from 5778 to 7871 MFU ha -1 with irrigation, respectively. The MFU ha -1 observed in varieties sown in spring under rain-fed conditions was 8926 for grain sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. (Moench)), 12,459 for silage sorghum; and 15,148, 24,004, 20,323 and 13,521 for lucerne (Medicago sativa L.), maize, silage and grain sorghum grown with irrigation respectively. Furthermore, the mean MFU ha -1 of autumn and spring legume and grass varieties used for grain consumption, in comparison to those of silage, was reduced by 67.6% under rain-fed conditions and 53.4% with irrigation. Three years of continuous rotations of irrigated autumn and spring grass varieties reduced the initial experimental content of OC by 2.49 g kg -1 in the autumn grass and 1.50 g kg -1 in legumes, while under rain-fed conditions the decrease was 0.81 g kg -1 and 1.86 g kg -1 in autumn legumes and grass respectively. IntroductionThe weather conditions of the European Union (EU) Mediterranean environment favour the cultivation of fodder crops with a SeptemberJune vegetative cycle. In these environments, during our study, total rainfall in the September-June period was 80% of the total yearly amount and mean temperature was under 25°C, while solar radiation and evapotranspiration (ETo) were 49.0% lower than those of other months.The exploitation of natural resources by intensive double-cropping cultivation per year in the utilised agricultural area (UAA) of the EU during the hot and dry June-September seasons is conducted by adopting appropriate agronomic management techniques.In the EU lands, the success of spring cultivations under irrigated conditions depends on the availability of water in the farms that can sustain crop development in the summer period. By contrast the success of rain-fed cultivations relies significantly on the availability of adapted varieties that can withstand the critical phase of plant development during harsh weather conditions (Le Gal et al., 2010;Álvaro-Fuentes et al., 2011;...

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“…Comparing barley following fallow or legumes such as vetch and lathyrus as well as barley mono-cropping, Jones and Sigh (2000) showed highest overall growth potential in the barley-legume systems. Pala et al (2007) compared several improved biennial rotations with wheat as main crop in terms of yield and water-use efficiency. Highest availability of stored soil moisture after fallow resulted in best wheat yields.…”

Section: Initial Depletionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Management of crop water under drought: a review

Bodner

Nakhforoosh

Kaul

2015

Agron. Sustain. Dev.

455

234

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Drought is a predominant cause of low yields worldwide. There is an urgent need for more water efficient cropping systems facing large water consumption of irrigated agriculture and high unproductive losses via runoff and evaporation. Identification of yield-limiting constraints in the plant-soil-atmosphere continuum are the key to improved management of plant water stress. Crop ecology provides a systematic approach for this purpose integrating soil hydrology and plant physiology into the context of crop production. We review main climate, soil and plant properties and processes that determine yield in different water-limited environments. From this analysis, management measures for cropping systems under specific drought conditions are derived. Major findings from literature analysis are as follows. (1) Unproductive water losses such as evaporation and runoff increase from continental in-season rainfall climates to storage-dependent winter rainfall climates. Highest losses occur under tropical residual moisture regimes with short intense rainy season. (2) Sites with a climatic dry season require adaptation via phenology and water saving to ensure stable yields. Intermittent droughts can be buffered via the root system, which is still largely underutilised for better stress resistance. (3) At short-term better management options such as mulching and date of seeding allow to adjust cropping systems to site constraints. Adapted cultivars can improve the synchronisation between crop water demand and soil supply. At long term, soil hydraulic and plant physiological constraints can be overcome by changing tillage systems and breeding new varieties with higher stress resistance. (4) Interactions between plant and soil, particularly in the rhizosphere, are a way towards better crop water supply. Targeted management of such plant-soil interactions is still at infancy.We conclude that understanding site-specific stress hydrology is imperative to select the most efficient measures to mitigate stress. Major progress in future can be expected from crop ecology focussing on the management of complex plant (root)-soil interactions.

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Water-use efficiency of wheat-based rotation systems in a Mediterranean environment

Cited by 95 publications

References 26 publications

Effects of Residue Management and Cropping Systems on Wheat Yield Stability in a Semiarid Mediterranean Clay Soil

Effects of Residue Management and Cropping Systems on Wheat Yield Stability in a Semiarid Mediterranean Clay Soil

Effect of crop rotations of rain-fed and irrigated autumn-sown and spring-sown forage on milk feed unit and soil traits in the European Mediterranean environment

Management of crop water under drought: a review

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