Deficit Irrigation Conditions Research Articles

Improving maize yield and drought tolerance in field conditions through activated biochar application

Amidst depleting water resources, rising crop water needs, changing climates, and soil fertility decline from inorganic modifications of soil, the need for sustainable agricultural solutions has been more pressing. The experimental work aimed to inspect the potential of organically activated biochar in improving soil physicochemical and nutrient status as well as improving biochemical and physiological processes, and optimizing yield-related attributes under optimal and deficit irrigation conditions. Biochar enhances soil structure, water retention, and nutrient availability, while improving plant nutrient uptake and drought resilience. The field experiment with maize crop was conducted in Hardaas Pur (32°38.37’N, 74°9.00’E), Gujrat, Pakistan. The experiment involved the use of DK-9108, DK-6321, and Sarhaab maize hybrid seeds, with five moisture levels of evapotranspiration (100% ETC, 80% ETC, 70% ETC, 60% ETC, and 50% ETC) maintained throughout the crop seasons. Furthermore, activated biochar was applied at three levels: 0 tons/ha (no biochar), 5 tons per hectare, and 10 tons per hectare. The study’s findings revealed significant improvements in soil organic matter, bulk density, nutrient profile and total porosity with biochar supplementation in soil. Maize plants grown under lower levels of ETC in biochar supplemented soil had enhanced membrane stability index (1.6 times higher) increased protein content (1.4 times higher), reduced malondialdehyde levels (0.7 times lower), improved antioxidant enzyme activity (1.3 times more SOD and POD activity, and 1.2 times more CAT activity), improved relative growth (1.05 times more) and enhanced yield parameters (26% more grain and stover yield, 16% more 1000-seed weight, 29% more total seed weight, 33% more apparent water productivity) than control. Additionally, among the two biochar application levels tested, the 5 tons/ha dose demonstrated superior efficiency compared to the 10 tons/ha biochar dose.

The role of the application of nanosilver and humic acid on the physiological and yield traits of corn (Zea Mays L.) under deficit irrigation conditions

Water deficit is the most common abiotic stress and at least 75% of corn fields in Iran are exposed to drought stress during different stages of growth. humic acid (HA) and nanosilver (NS) can help mitigate abiotic stresses in plants; especially drought stress. A field experiment was conducted to study the effect of humic acid and nanosilver on the physiological traits and yield of corn during two crop years. Experimental treatments were including deficit irrigation (100%, 80%, 60% of crop water requirement (CWR)) and nanosilver (0 (NS0), 60 (NS60), 80 (NS80) and 100 (NS100) microliters/liter/ha) and humic acid (control (HA0), 500 (HA500) and 1000 (HA1000) g/ha). The highest amount of chlorophyll a, b and total in 100% CWR+NS60+HA1000 was obtained. The highest amount of proline in 60% CWR + NS60 +HA1000 as well as treatment NS0 +HA1000 were observed. In all irrigation levels, the application of NS100 has reduced chlorophyll a and total. The yield components were affected by HA and nanosilver foliar spraying. The highest grain yield was observed in 100% CWR with the application of NS60 +HA500 at the rate of 10,582 kg/ha. In conditions of 100% CWR, nanosilver concentrations had a positive effect on plant growth and yield, and with increasing stress, high concentrations of nanosilver had a negative effect on growth and yield, but with the combined application of nanosilver and HA, the effect of drought stress decreased, which indicates the positive effect of HA in improving plant growth and yield.

Effect of potassium application on maize to sandy soil under deficit irrigation conditions

Maize is widely growth in arid and semi-arid region where, drought is common and a limiting factor for crop production. Potassium plays a key role in enhancing plant growth under drought condition. The objective of this study is to determine the effect of K fertilization with and without NP on maize growth grown in sandy loam soil under adequate and deficit irrigation conditions. The following treatments were investigated in pot experiment: (1) control with no fertilizer application (C); (2) 128 kg N + 328 kg P2O5 ha-1 (NPK0); (3) 128 kg N + 328 kg P2O5 ha-1 + 152.5 kg K2O ha1 (NPK1); (4) 128 kg N + 328 kg P2O5 ha-1 + 305 kg K2O ha-1 (NPK2); and 128 kg N + 328 kg P2O5 ha-1 + 457.5 kg K2O ha-1 (NPK3). Treatments were investigated under adequate and deficit soil moisture content. Each pot filled with 3.5 kg air-dry soil and seeded with maize and pots were watered according to the treatments. The results indicated that plant growth and nutrient uptake were significantly reduced under water stress condition. The application of NP increased plant growth and nutrient uptake and further were increased with K application. K application also enhanced plant tolerance to deficit soil moisture condition. In addition, K enhanced nutrient uptake and leaf chlorophyll content. Based on the results, it can be concluded that application of NP for maize was not adequate to achieve the highest plant growth, unless it is combined with K application. In addition, K application enhances plant tolerance to water stress.

Combined application of silica nanoparticles and brassinolide promoted the growth of sugar beets under deficit irrigation

Silica nanoparticles (SiNPs) and brassinolide (BR) have been used as nano-fertilizer and growth regulator, respectively to enhance crop tolerance to abiotic stress. However, it is unclear whether a combination of the two (BR+SiNPs) is more beneficial than single application of BR or SiNPs to improve the growth of deficit-irrigated sugar beets. In this study, a two-year (2022-2023) field experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of foliar spraying of water (CK), SiNPs, BR, and BR+SiNPs on the antioxidant defense, photosynthetic capacity, dry matter accumulation, nutrient uptake, and yield of sugar beets under full irrigation (100% of crop evapotranspiration (ETc), W1) and deficit irrigation (60% ETc, W2). The results showed that compared with the application of BR or SiNPs, the application of BR+SiNPs could enhance the antioxidant defense, osmoregulation, and photosynthesis of the full-irrigated and deficit-irrigated sugar beet leaves, and ultimately improved the water status, growth, and yield of sugar beet plants. There was no significant difference in the net revenue (NR) between BR+SiNPs treatment and CK under W1 conditions. However, the NR of the BR+SiNPs treatment increased by 27.0% (p < 0.05) compared with that of CK under W2 conditions, and there was no significant difference in NR between BR+SiNPs and SiNPs treatments. A comprehensive evaluation using entropy weight combined with technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution method found that under deficit irrigation condition, spraying SiNPs could improve the growth of sugar beet, increase the TY, NR, and water use efficiency, and reduce costs compared with spraying BR+SiNPs. Therefore, foliar spraying of SiNP on deficit-irrigated sugar beets can be used to improve sugar beet growth and reduce the potential economic losses caused by deficit irrigation.

Heat transfer processes in 'Shine Muscat' grapevine leaves in solar greenhouses under different irrigation treatments

The use of solar greenhouses in China is increasing because they permit environmental conditions to be controlled. Studies of the heat transfer processes in the leaves of plants cultivated within solar greenhouses are needed. Here, we studied heat transfer processes in 'Shine Muscat' grapevine leaves under moderate deficit irrigation (MDI), severe deficit irrigation (SDI), and full irrigation (FI) treatments under varying weather conditions. The stomatal conductance, leaf temperature, and transpiration rate of both shade and sun grapevine leaves were measured, and the effects of ambient temperature and relative humidity on these variables were determined. A thermal physics model of the leaves was established to explore the heat dissipation process. On sunny days, the transpiration heat transfer of sun leaves in the MDI, SDI, and FI treatments was 2.62 MJ m−2·day−1, 2.44 MJ m−2·day−1, and 3.86 MJ m−2·day−1and 0.818 MJ m−2·day−1, 0.782 MJ m−2·day−1, and 1.185 MJ m−2·day−1 on rainy days, respectively. There was a significant difference in transpiration heat transfer under fully irrigated and deficit irrigation conditions under different weather conditions. Furthermore, transpiration heat transfer accounted for 41.49 % and 25.03 % of the total heat transfer of sun leaves in the FI treatment and 33.94 % and 29.43 % of the total heat transfer of shade leaves on rainy days, respectively, indicating that relative humidity plays a key role in determining transpiration heat transfer and leaf temperature and that its effect was greater on sun leaves than on shade leaves.

Comprehensive analysis of drought tolerance in pure lines derived from half-diallel crosses of upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.)

Drought has a significant impact on plants, affecting their growth, development and survival. This study focuses on evaluating the impact of drought stress, a significant abiotic factor, on the agronomic and fiber parameters of potential cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) lines with the aim of developing drought-tolerant varieties. The experiment involved two irrigation regimes—well-watered (100% field capacity) and deficit irrigation (50% field capacity)—conducted on F9–F10 generations. Key fiber parameters, including fiber length, boll weight, fiber strength, and lint percentage, were identified as crucial selection criteria under both well-watered and deficit irrigation conditions. Notably, boll number emerged as the decisive parameter in both F9 and F10 generations. The study employed univariate and multivariate analyses, such as PCA, heat map cluster, correlation analysis, and decision tree, which consistently highlighted fiber length, boll weight, fiber strength and lint (ginning) percentage the key factor. In the F10 generation, the integration of decision tree and heat map cluster results led to the identification of 8 promising lines. These selected genotypes have potential for inclusion in future cotton breeding programmes, offering the opportunity to increase drought tolerance and improve cotton yield and productivity. Their resilience to environmental stresses makes them promising candidates for improving overall cotton performance under challenging conditions.

Citrus trees irrigated with desalinated seawater under deficit-irrigation conditions

Citrus trees irrigated with desalinated seawater under deficit-irrigation conditions

Genetic analysis of yield and fiber quality traits in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) under full and deficit irrigation conditions using full diallel method

The aim of the study was to assess the genetic structure and quantitative heritability of cotton yield, yield components and fiber quality parameters under well-watered (100%) and deficit (50%) irrigation conditions using a complete full diallel cross method with six cotton genotypes. The F1 and F2 generations were obtained to study the effect of irrigation conditions on genotypic variation and maternal effects on the traits studied. Parental, F1 and F2 generations were growed under full and deficit irrigation conditions and selected agronomic and fiber quality traits were measured. The data were analysed using various methods, including Griffing Method I, Model I analysis of variance, full diallel table analysis of variance, Jinks-Hayman diallel hybrid analysis. The Jinks-Hayman analysis of variance showed that dominant effects were more important in the inheritance of all traits, as indicated by the negative value of the difference between the additive variance and the dominance variance (D-H1). In addition, the average degree of dominance (H1/D)1/2 was greater than 1, indicating the predominance of dominant gene action in inheritance. The study concluded that starting selection in the F5–F6 generation is appropriate for drought resistant cotton breeding studies. It also emphasised the importance of conducting drought resistant cotton breeding under drought conditions due to the differences in gene movement between well-watered irrigation and drought stress conditions. The study highlighted the importance of population selection, environmental factors, data collection and analysis interpretation in breeding studies. It suggested that the Griffing diallel analysis method is suitable for hybrid breeding studies, while the Jinks-Hayman type analysis method is suitable for studying the genetic structures of populations.

Evaluating Water Stress Adaptation in Cotton: Multivariate Analysis in F6–F7 Generations for Yield, Fibre Quality and Variety Selection

AbstractThe impact of drought stress on productivity of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) is a well‐known challenge in agricultural production, and concurrently, the question of whether using the same or different selection criteria in well‐watered and water‐deficit conditions to select drought‐tolerant cotton varieties remains unclear. This study aimed to comprehensively assess the single plant progeny lines within the F6 and F7 generations for determine response to DS and select the tolerant lines within the F7 generation. Single plant progeny rows were established, with the deficit water condition comprising 108 and 136 single plants for the F6 and F7 generations, respectively, and the WW condition consisting of 120 and 156 single plants for the F6 and F7 generations, respectively, with four blocks in Augmented experimental design. These progeny rows have length of 12 m, incorporate five control varieties (Karizma, Gloria, Carla, Candia and Claudia) to facilitate a comprehensive comparison. The study findings showed that fibre length, boll number and lint percentage were identified as the most crucial selection criteria under both WW and deficit irrigation conditions through principal component analysis. These indicators are highly beneficial for evaluating cotton's drought tolerance and screening potential drought‐tolerant lines under both irrigation scenarios. According to the decision tree analysis, FL and BN have emerged as the most critical decision‐making parameter in both irrigation conditions. Furthermore, the analysis revealed that each selection criterion has different impact in the comprehensive selection process. Also, as a result of all statistical analysis results and breeder observations, a total of 10 cotton lines were selected in the F7 generation. These selected genotypes hold promise for future cotton breeding programmes, providing an avenue to enhance drought tolerance and elevate cotton yield and productivity.Clinical Trial Registration: This study does not involve a clinical trial, and therefore, clinical trial registration is not applicable.

Improved water use efficiency and yield of drip-irrigated pepper under full and deficit irrigation conditions

Improved water use efficiency and yield of drip-irrigated pepper under full and deficit irrigation conditions

Enhancing Wheat Growth, Physiology, Yield, and Water Use Efficiency under Deficit Irrigation by Integrating Foliar Application of Salicylic Acid and Nutrients at Critical Growth Stages.

Transitioning from full to deficit irrigation (DI) has become a key strategy in arid regions to combat water scarcity and enhance irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE). However, implementing DI requires additional approaches to counter its negative effects on wheat production. One effective approach is the foliar application of salicylic acid (SA), micronutrients (Mic; zinc and manganese), and macronutrients (Mac; nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium). However, there is a lack of knowledge on the optimal combinations and timing of foliar application for these components to maximize their benefits under arid conditions, which is the primary focus of this study. A two-year field study was conducted to assess the impact of the foliar application of SA alone and in combination with Mic (SA + Mic) or Mic and Mac (SA + Mic + Mac) at various critical growth stages on wheat growth, physiology, productivity, and IWUE under DI conditions. Our result demonstrated that the foliar application of different components, the timing of application, and their interaction had significant effects on all investigated wheat parameters with few exceptions. Applying different components through foliar application at multiple growth stages, such as tillering and heading or tillering, heading, and grain filling, led to significant enhancements in various wheat parameters. The improvements ranged from 7.7% to 23.2% for growth parameters, 8.7% to 24.0% for physiological traits, 1.4% to 21.0% for yield and yield components, and 14.8% to 19.0% for IWUE compared to applying the components only at the tillering stage. Plants treated with different components (SA, Mic, Mac) exhibited enhanced growth, production, and IWUE in wheat compared to untreated plants. The most effective treatment was SA + Mic, followed by SA alone and SA + Mic + Mac. The foliar application of SA, SA + Mic, and SA + Mic + Mac improved growth parameters by 1.2-50.8%, 2.7-54.6%, and 2.5-43.9%, respectively. Yield parameters were also enhanced by 1.3-33.0%, 2.4-37.2%, and 3.0-26.6% while IWUE increased by 28.6%, 33.0%, and 18.5% compared to untreated plants. A heatmap analysis revealed that the foliar application of SA + Mic at multiple growth stages resulted in the highest values for all parameters, followed by SA alone and SA + Mic + Mac applications at multiple growth stages. The lowest values were observed in untreated plants and with the foliar application of different components only at the tillering stage. Thus, this study suggested that the foliar application of SA + Mic at various growth stages can help sustain wheat production in arid regions with limited water resources.

Effect of super absorbent hydrogel on hydro-physical properties of soil under deficit irrigation

Due to water scarcity challenges, efficient management of irrigation water is becoming crucial. Water use efficiency (WUE) involves increasing crop productivity without increasing water consumption. This study was carried out to study the effect of hydrogel, deficit irrigation and soil type on WUE, soil hydro-physical properties and lettuce productivity. For this purpose, four irrigation treatments (100%, 85%, 70% and 60% of full irrigation requirements), four hydrogel concentrations (0, 0.1, 0.2 and 0.3% w/w) and three soil textural classes (clay, loamy sand, and sandy-clay soil) were conducted in pot experiment at open field during two consecutive seasons. The results revealed that crop growth parameters and soil hydro-physical properties were significantly affected by hydrogel application rates. Hydrogel addition significantly enhanced head fresh and dry weights, chlorophyll content, number of leaves and WUE. Application of hydrogel at 0.3% and 85% of irrigation requirements achieved the highest WUE without significant yield reductions. Changes in the studied hydro-physical properties of soil were more dependent on soil texture and hydrogel application rate than on the amount of irrigation water. The significant decrease in soil saturated hydraulic conductivity and bulk density confirms that super absorbent hydrogels could be recommended to improve soil water retention and enhance water use efficiency under deficit irrigation conditions.

Optimization of irrigation period improves wheat yield by regulating source-sink relationship under water deficit

The optimization of irrigation scheduling presents an effective methodology for augmenting crop yields and enhancing water utilization efficiency. Nonetheless, a comprehensive understanding of the intricate mechanisms through which this strategy influences crop growth and yield formation is yet to be fully understood. In this study, a field experiment was conducted during the winter wheat cultivation period from 2018 to 2020 on two wheat cultivars: JM418, known for its drought tolerance, and SX828, known for its drought sensitivity. These treatments were subjected to four distinct irrigation schedules and two sowing stages. The timing of irrigation was specifically designed to coincide with the visibility of the 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th leaves for normal and postponed sowing. Our findings revealed that commencing irrigation at the stage when the 4th leaf becomes visible serves as an advantageous strategy for deficit irrigation. This approach significantly amplified winter wheat yield by 6.96–54.09 % and improved water use efficiency by 9.88–47.62 %. Quantitative analysis of source ability parameters demonstrated that postponed irrigation adversely affected the mean leaf area index (MLAI), total leaf area duration (TLAD), and biomass at maturity (BAM). Furthermore, an increase in mean net assimilation rate (MEAR) and harvest index (HI) was noted during the delayed irrigation phase when the 4th leaf was visible. The highest spike count per hectare was observed when irrigation was executed at the 4th leaf visibility stage, with an average increase of 13.98 %. Conversely, with a postponed irrigation schedule, the mean count of grain number per spike decreased by 2.47, while the 1000-grain weight saw an increase of 1.65 g. Higher sink capacity was obtained with irrigation when the 3rd and 4th leaves were visible. Despite this, the grain-leaf ratios when irrigated at the 4th, 5th, and 6th leaf visibility stages were significantly higher than those irrigated at the 3rd leaf visibility stage. In conclusion, our findings elucidate that the irrigation strategy coinciding with the 4th leaf visibility stage exhibits superior grain yield and water use efficiency (WUE) stability. This can be attributed to the enhanced harvest index, effective spike number per unit area, and biomass accumulation. Concurrently, the number of grains per panicle and the 1000-grain weight were relatively balanced. Our research offers novel insights into the mechanism of source-sink regulation in crops under deficit irrigation conditions and lays the groundwork for the development of precise and efficient irrigation strategies.

Molecular and Physiological Responses to Exogenously Applied Melatonin in Spinach Under Deficit Irrigation Conditions

Melatonin, an important phytochemical, encourages plants to redirect growth in response to environmental stresses. The study aims to investigate the changes in the morphological, physiological, biochemical, and molecular properties of spinach subjected to the exogenous application of melatonin (MEL) at different doses under different water stress. The following four irrigation levels were applied: I100 (complete irrigation), I80 (20% water deficit), I60 (40% water deficit), and I40 (60% water deficit). MEL was applied through a spray on the leaves in three doses—0, 50, and 100 µM. In the present study, the application of MEL50 exhibited no significant decrease in water use efficiency (WUE) at the I80 irrigation level compared to the I100 irrigation level, while a significant decrease in the WUE was observed beyond this point. The application of MEL contributed to influencing the morphological parameters while also positively affecting the photosynthesis activity and, contribution to the antioxidant defense system. It was observed that the genes involved in the carbon metabolism of photosynthesis), the antioxidant mechanism, and the continuity of photosynthesis, all of which affect the expression of melatonin, facilitated water stress reduction in spinach. Therefore, it was inferred that the application of MEL50I80 could serve as an important irrigation strategy in semi-arid regions with limited water resources.

Response to Deficit Irrigation of ‘Orogrande’ Mandarin Grafted onto Different Citrus Rootstocks in Spain

Drought is increasingly becoming an abiotic stress factor that affects citrus yield in the Mediterranean Basin, and rootstocks may impact the plants’ responses to it. This study compares the influences of Forner-Alcaide 5 (FA-5), an emerging well-established rootstock in Spain, and Carrizo citrange (CC), the common commercial rootstock of the Orogrande mandarin variety, on plants’ responses to water reduction. The deficit irrigation (DI) condition was established by 50% irrigation and evapotranspiration (ETc). The canopy volume, yield, fruit size and fruit internal quality were evaluated. The yield reduction in the CC DI was mainly due to a smaller fruit size, but in FA-5, it was due to fewer fruits without an affected caliber. Regarding Ct, the fruits from the CC DI had lower juice contents and higher rind percentages, while the differences between the Ct and DI trees were smaller in the FA-5 rootstock. The most remarkable effect was the increase in total soluble sugars (TSS) for the DI treatment. To conclude, the FA-5 rootstock had the strongest influence on Orogrande mandarin under water stress. These results can be useful for addressing water stress problems in citrus.

Trait phenotyping in an ancient Indian landrace of wheat Triticum sphaerococcum under optimum, terminal heat stress and deficit irrigation conditions

Trait phenotyping in an ancient Indian landrace of wheat Triticum sphaerococcum under optimum, terminal heat stress and deficit irrigation conditions

Diversified cropping systems effect on the water status of mandarin trees under deficit irrigation

The diversified cropping systems has several environmental benefits, but there is no certainty about their effect on the water status of trees, especially in areas with permanent low availability of irrigation water. Therefore, our objective was to evaluate the effect of the establishment of diversified cropping systems in a traditional monoculture (MC) of adult mandarin trees on its water status and yield under sustained deficit irrigation (SDI) and regulated deficit irrigation (RDI). Six treatments were tested during three consecutive seasons: (i) a mandarin monoculture under SDI (MC-SDI), with permanent bare alleys and irrigated at ∼70 % ETc during the entire season (actual amount of irrigation water available in the area); (ii) a diversified mandarin crop (D1-SDI), irrigated as MC-SDI, with a rotation of fava bean and barley/vetch in the alleys; and (iii) a second diversified mandarin crop (D2-SDI), irrigated as MC-SDI, with a seasonal rotation of fava bean, purslane and cowpea. Additionally, three RDI treatments were evaluated, denoted as (iv) MC-RDI, (v) D1-RDI and (vi) D2-RDI, irrigated as MC-SDI, except during the stage II of fruit growth, when it was reduced by 50 % with an irrigation threshold of a solar midday stem water potential of ∼ –1.5 MPa. The mandarin yield was not affected by the effect of diversified cropping systems, but the RDI reduced it on average by 30.1 % with respect to SDI. The alley cropping of fava bean and barley/vetch during winter and spring under sustained deficit irrigation conditions reduced the water stress intensity of mandarin trees by 26.9 % over the entire season, while cultivation of purslane or cowpea during summer increased it by 60–144 %. Both diversifications required a greater amount of water than the monoculture, in these terms an additional reduction in the irrigation of mandarin trees, as in the RDI treatment, allowed to solve this additional water requirement, but promoted an increase in the water stress intensity of the trees, which may affect their productivity in the mid and long-term.

Evaluation of the yield and photosynthetic parameters of corn by some amendatory materials under deficit irrigation conditions

Abstract Irrigation is essential for corn plants. Because this plant is a summer crop, irrigation is critical to its production, and an absence of moisture is a significant constraint on its development. This study aimed to investigate the impacts of hydrophilic polymer (HP) and fulvic acid (Fu-A) as amendatory materials on yield, yield component, and photosynthetic parameters of corn plants under the deficit irrigation (DI) situation. The treatments were performed by mixing two water provision groups, including complete irrigation (CI) and DI, two soil improvements, including the application of without HP or with HP, and two foliar amendments, including spraying without Fu-A or with Fu-A, with four replications. According to the results, under DI and CI situations, the co-treatment of two amendatory materials, Fu-A and HP, enhanced corn yield significantly. These enhancements were higher than enhancements attained by using them alone. Besides, the moisture and leaf proline available for the plant during DI circumstances were increased by utilizing both amendatory materials. Under DI treatment, using Fu-A and HP amendatory materials together may thus be more significant and beneficial for increasing production and boosting photosynthetic mechanisms.

Green waste-derived compost (GWC) alleviates drought stress and promotes sugar beet productivity and biofortification

ABSTRACT Green waste-derived compost (GWC) is a valuable soil amendment for improving soil organic matter and decreasing waste products and potential pollutants. The study was carried out to evaluate the effect of GWC application on the yield and quality of sugar beet under deficit irrigation conditions using different irrigation systems. A field experiment was conducted using the commercial sugar beet variety Gazelle in sandy soil. Two doses (0 and 14 t ha−1) of GWC were applied to the soil. Three water deficiency levels (60, 80 and 100% of the soil field capacity) under either drip and sprinkler irrigation systems were applied. The application of 14 ton ha−1 of GWC resulted in the highest root and recoverable sugar yields, especially under the well-irrigated conditions under drip irrigation. Sugar beet root biofortification and juice quality were also significantly improved under drip irrigation in response to the application of 14 ton ha−1 of GWC by increasing sucrose content, quality index (Qz)% and recoverable sugar (RS)%. The application of GWC under drip irrigation enhanced water use efficiency for root (WUERY) and recoverable sugar yields (WUERSY), in particular under drip irrigation and water deficit conditions (60% of the soil field capacity). The soil physicochemical properties were significantly improved in response to the application of GWC. GWC application promoted the yield and biofortification of sugar beet by improving the soil physiochemical properties, and nutrient mobilization and uptake. The application of GWC is essential for sustainable sugar beet production and efficient irrigation water use in sandy soils.

Comparison of physical and quality characteristics of silage maize and silage sorghum under deficit irrigation conditions

Silage sorghum has the feature of being an alternative to silage maize in many ways. Considering this feature, the nutritional contents and physical properties of silage maize and silage sorghum were examined. The aim of this study was to compare the physiological and quality characteristics of silage maize and silage sorghum under different irrigation treatments (M100-S100, M80-S80, M60-S60, M40-S40, and M20-S20). This study examined the physiological characteristics (chlorophyll content, plant height, stem diameter, and number of leaves) and quality characteristics (acid detergent fiber (ADF), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), and protein content (HP)) of second-crop silage maize and silage sorghum. Chlorophyll contents were measured before and after irrigation. These measurements showed that irrigation had no effect on the chlorophyll content in both plants in the middle of the growth period, and chlorophyll contents decreased towards the harvest. There was no significant difference between silage maize and silage sorghum plant height values. In the mean values for both years in which the plants were examined, stem diameter values and numbers of leaves were higher in sorghum compared to maize (p&amp;lt;0.05). There was no significant difference between maize and sorghum in terms of their protein contents (8.47% and 8.25%, respectively), acid detergent fiber (ADF), or neutral detergent fiber (NDF) values. In this case, it was seen that sorghum can be an alternative to maize in terms of nutritional quality. The protein contents of both plants decreased from the 100% irrigated treatment to the 20% irrigated treatment (p&amp;lt;0.01). This study will provide valuable information to feed producers and researchers in terms of comparing the physiological and quality characteristics of silage maize and silage sorghum under deficit irrigation conditions.