Productivity and water use efficiency of macaroni (Triticum durum) and bread wheats (T. aestivum) under varying irrigation levels ani schedules in the Vertisols of central India

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted duringthe winters of 1998 99 and 1999 2000, to evaluate the performance of macaroni or durum (Triticum durum Desf.) and bread or aestivum wheat (Triticum aestivum L. emend. Fiori Paoi.) under varying irrigation levels and schedules, under limited water availability situa tions in central India. Performance of wheat under varying irrigation Levels revealed that the grain yield of durum and aestivum cultivars increased signifi cantly with increasing levels of irrigation and the maximum grain yield of 5,397 and 5,960 kglha was obtained during 1998 99 and 1999 2000, respectively, when 6 irrigations [in addition to come up irrigation (CUI)] were applied based . on physiological growth stages. Durum wheat cultivars performed better than aestivum wheat with an yield advantage of 4.5 to 8.1% at all levelsof irrigations except at I, (CLII) and I, (CUI CRI), where yield levels of both wheats were at par. The effective tillerS1plant were 55 and 17% higher in aestivum than durum, while 1,000 grain weight was 22 and 14.2% higher in durum over aestivum during 1998 99 and 1999 2000 respectively. Significant increase in grain yield with an advantage of 12.4 and 22.5% was recorded by shiftingldelaying irriga tion at crown root initiation to late tillering and late jointing (LJ) respectively. The maximum grain yield of,3,35Q kglha and water use efficiency of 11.72 kglha mm were obtained when 1 irrigation (in addition to CUI) was applied at late jointing. The durum varieties HI 8498 and HD 4672 gave the maximum grain yield of 4,046 and 3,968 kglha, respectively, when 2 irrigations were applied at CRI and LJ in addition to CUI. The maximum WUE of 12.15 kglha mmwas recorded in Lok l , followed by HI 8498 (12.06 kglha mm) and HD 4672 (1 1 .85 kglha mm).