Effect of Soil Temperature on the Growth of Spring Wheat With and Without Wheat Straw Mulch1

Abstract

AbstractSpring wheat (Triticum aestivum L. vat. ‘Lee’) was grown in pots in the greenhouse in water baths controlled at 12.8 ± 0.3 and 18.3 ± 0.3 C. Wheat straw was applied on an area basis at rates equivalent to 0 and 5,040 kg/ha. Selected groups of pots were shifted between temperature baths at specific growth stages. Soil temperatures measured continuously with thermocouples were lower with surface residue than without surface residue during the earlier stages of growth, with the greater difference occurring in the 12.8 C bath. There was a significant correlation between temperature at the 0–3 growth stage and the number of tillers, number of heads, and total grain yield. The percentage of heads to tillers ranged from 34 to 50 with no clearcut correlation with temperature or mulch treatment. There was no correlation between yield and mulch treatment. Significant correlation coefficients were also obtained for soil temperature during the 10–10.5 stage of growth and weight per kernel, number of kernels per head and weight of grain.