Effect of skipping irrigation on growth, yield, yield components and water use efficiency of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in semi arid Region of Sudan

Abstract

The study was conducted for two consecutive winter seasons (2008/09-2009/10) at the Demonstrated Farm, Sudan University of Science and Technology, Shambat, Sudan to study the effect of skipping one irrigation during different developmental stages on growth, yield, yield components and water use efficiency of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Condor cultivar was grown under six irrigation treatments at developmental growth stage, in which one-irrigation was skipped at some of growth stages (seedling W1, tillering W2, booting W3, dough W4 and repining stage W5) and irrigation without skipping with intervals of 10 days as control WS. The experimental design was randomized complete block design with four replications. The parameters studied were: plant height, dry matter accumulation, plant/m 2 , tiller/plant, number of spike/m 2 , spikelet/spike, grain/spike, 1000-grain weight, grain yield, straw yield, biomass, harvest index, water use efficiency. The results showed there were highly significant differences in all tested parameters due to skipping irrigation except plant/m 2 in both seasons, and plant height and dry matter accumulation in 45 days reading (booting stage) in the second seasons. Irrigation every 10 days throughout (control) gave higher values (few different with seedling and repining stages) than the other sensitive stages. Although, the resulted showed highly significant effect on the studied parameters biomass, straw and grain yield, harvest index, water use efficiency and protein content. In general irrigation every 10 days with slightly different at skipping on seedling and repining stages gave the highest protein content, grain and straw yield and field water use efficiency. Skipping irrigation during tillering and booting stage must be avoided.