Wheat Management in Warm Environments: Effect of Organic and Inorganic Fertilizers, Irrigation Frequency, and Mulching

Abstract

has been conducted on ameliorating the effects of heat stress through management practices.Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) yields are reduced by heat stress in Optimal crop growth requires a nonlimiting supply many countries worldwide. The main objective of this study was to determine whether modifications to currently recommended crop of resources (water, nutrients, and radiation) and, as management practices could improve wheat yield at hot-environment temperatures rise, the demand for growth resources insites in three countries. Field trials were conducted between 1991 and creases due to higher rates of metabolism, development, 1993 in Sudan and Bangladesh by their respective national agricultural and evapotranspiration (Rawson, 1988). If growth reresearch systems (NARS) and in Mexico by the International Maize sources are limited under heat stress, then the size of and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT). Crop establishment plant organs such as leaves, tillers, and spikes is reduced and other plant characteristics were measured to help understand the . The apparent sensitivity of metabolic basis of improved performance and to identify potential diagnostic processes to heat stress in the field environment (Reyntraits. Management factors included (i) irrigation, (ii) inorganic fertilolds et al., 1998), coupled with the reduced length of izer (NPK), (iii) organic fertilizer in the form of farmyard manure life cycle at high temperature (Midmore et al., 1984), (FYM), (iv) straw mulch, (v) genotype, and (vi) sowing date. Control treatments represented recommended practices and gave yields of 3.6 explains why grain yield is strongly associated with total t ha Ϫ1 , averaged across all environments. Considering main effects, plant biomass in hot environments (Reynolds et al., FYM (10 t ha Ϫ1 ) gave the highest yield response (14%) and approxi-1994a). These interactions make crop management facmately equivalent levels of NPK gave the lowest (5.5%), suggesting tors critical to sustaining wheat yields in warm envithat organic fertilizer provided growth factors in addition to nutrient ronments. content. Mulch and extra irrigation increased yield in Sudan and A few studies have shown benefits of specific manage-Mexico, which are hot environments with low relative humidity, but ment factors under stress. For example, the application not in hot, humid Bangladesh. In Mexico, extra inputs were more of farmyard manure (FYM) has been reported to imbeneficial under hotter, spring-sown conditions than for winter sowprove soil physical and chemical conditions and to help ings, with responses of 17 and 8% to extra NPK, 17 and 14% to FYM, conserve soil moisture (Sattar and Gaur, 1989; Gill and and 11 and 6% to mulch, respectively. Comparison of heat-tolerant (Glennson 81) and heat-sensitive (Pavon 76) genotypes showed that Meelu, 1982; Tran-Thuc-Son et al., 1995). One-time apthe heat-tolerant genotype was generally more responsive to addi-plication of FYM (10-15 t ha Ϫ1 ) increased wheat yields tional inputs. Improved performance in respo...

Effects of straw mulching on soil temperature, evaporation and yield of winter wheat: field experiments on the North China Plain

“…The results indicate that the major delay occurred at the recovery stage with delays in the subsequent stages being less and relatively constant. This is in agreement with Badaruddin et al (1999), who showed that growth stages were delayed because the principal effect of mulch was to reduce soil temperatures before full ground cover occurred, at least during the day.…”

“…Crop residue mulches reduce evaporation of soil water primarily by shading the soil surface from the sun. Mulch will reduce evaporation most effectively early in the drying cycle when the surface soil is wet and early in the growing season when the leaf area is small (Bond & Willis, 1970; Adams et al , 1976; Badaruddin et al , 1999; Ji & Unger, 2001; Tao et al , 2006). Ramakrishna et al (2006) reported that, with mulch, soil moisture is higher and more uniform and that irrigation frequency can be reduced.…”

Growth and yield of barley (<i>Hordeum vulgare L</i>.) as affected by nitrogen and phosphorus fertilization and water regimes in Tigray, Ethiopia

“…Korem had cooler temperature than both Atsbi and MU sites (data not presented). Similar finding was reported by Badaruddin et al (1999) indicating that hotter environments elicit a greater response to applied treatments.…”

Crop Diversification, Tillage, and Management System Influence Spring Wheat Yield and Water Use

“…The conventional management had greater HI than the ecological management, suggesting that early planting in the conventional management can increase grain yield more than total aboveground biomass yield. Late planting in the ecological management may have exposed maturing spring wheat to elevated temperatures and drought stress, resulting in reduced grain yield compared with the total biomass yield and therefore HI (Badaruddin et al, 1999; Reynolds et al, 2007). The HI varied among rotations in 2 out of 6 yr (Table 6).…”