Abstract
Simultaneous indirect assessment of multiple and diverse plant parameters in an exact and expeditious manner is becoming imperative in irrigated arid regions, with a view toward creating drought-tolerant genotypes or for the management of precision irrigation. This study aimed to evaluate whether spectral reflectance indices (SRIs) in three parts of the electromagnetic spectrum ((visible-infrared (VIS), near-infrared (NIR)), and shortwave-infrared (SWIR)) could be used to track changes in morphophysiological parameters of wheat cultivars exposed to 1.00, 0.75, and 0.50 of the estimated evapotranspiration (ETc). Significant differences were found in the parameters of growth and photosynthetic efficiency, and canopy spectral reflectance among the three cultivars subjected to different irrigation rates. All parameters were highly and significantly correlated with each other particularly under the 0.50 ETc treatment. The VIS/VIS- and NIR/VIS-based indices were sufficient and suitable for assessing the growth and photosynthetic properties of wheat cultivars similar to those indices based on NIR/NIR, SWIR/NIR, or SWIR/SWIR. Almost all tested SRIs proved to assess growth and photosynthetic parameters, including transpiration rate, more efficiently when regressions were analyzed for each water irrigation rate individually. This study, the type of which has rarely been conducted in irrigated arid regions, indicates that spectral reflectance data can be used as a rapid and non-destructive alternative method for assessment of the growth and photosynthetic efficiency of wheat under a range of water irrigation rates.
Highlights
Water shortage is one of the main abiotic factors that limit the productivity of staple crops in arid and semi-arid regions
This study aimed to evaluate whether spectral reflectance indices (SRIs) in three parts of the electromagnetic spectrum ((visible-infrared (VIS), near-infrared (NIR)), and shortwave-infrared (SWIR)) could be used to track changes in morphophysiological parameters of wheat cultivars exposed to 1.00, 0.75, and 0.50 of the estimated evapotranspiration (ETc)
A significant correlation was observed between these photosynthetic parameters and green leaves per plant (GLN), Green leaf area per plant (GLA), and Total shoot dry weight per plant (TDW), under the 0.50 ETc treatment (Table 5), which indicates the close relationship
Summary
Water shortage is one of the main abiotic factors that limit the productivity of staple crops in arid and semi-arid regions. Achieving maxim production per unit of water irrigation applied remains a major objective for agricultural research in these regions, through gradually replacing the paradigm of full irrigation with deficit irrigation [2, 3]. A better understanding of the responses of morphophysiological parameters to water deficit stress will provide useful guidelines to plant agronomists on how to maximize and sustain crop production and water-use efficiency when water shortages are the rule rather than the exception. For plant physiologists, elucidating such responses will enable identification of the parameters that can be used as screening criteria for drought tolerance. It will promote an understanding of the mechanisms underlying drought tolerance, thereby enabling plant breeders to incorporate these parameters into breeding programs to improve or create new drought-tolerant genotypes, and to identify the genes controlling these parameters
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