Chin J Plan Ecolo ›› 2010, Vol. 34 ›› Issue (12): 1424-1432.

• Research Articles •

### Effects of supplemental irrigation on water consumption characteristics and dry matter accumulation and distribution in different spike-type wheat cultivars based on testing soil moisture

DUAN Wen-Xue*, YU Zhen-Wen**, ZHANG Yong-Li, and WANG Dong

1. Key Laboratory of Crop Ecophysiology and Cultivation, Ministry of Agriculture, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an, Shandong 271018, China
• Received:2010-03-08 Revised:2010-07-07 Online:2010-12-01 Published:2010-12-28
• Contact: YU Zhen-Wen

Abstract:

Aims Our objective was to determine the effects of supplemental irrigation on water consumption characteristics and dry matter accumulation and distribution in different spike-type wheat cultivars under field conditions based on testing soil moisture. Methods We conducted a field experiment using medium-spike (‘Shannong 15’) and large-spike (‘Shannong 8355’) cultivars. Three irrigation treatments were designed based on the contents of relative soil moisture at jointing and anthesis stages: 65% and 60% (treatment W0), 70% and 70% (W1), and 70% and 70% (delaying irrigation 8 d after the designated stages mentioned above; W2). Important findings Grain yield in treatment W0 was the lowest in both cultivars. In ‘Shannong 15’, there was no significant difference between W1 and W2, whereas in ‘Shannong 8355’, W1 had higher grain yield than W2. Water use efficiency (WUE) and irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE) of W1 were significantly higher than those of W2 in both cultivars. Under W1, grain yield of ‘Shannong 15’ was lower than that of ‘Shannong 8355’, but IWUE was the opposite. There was no significant difference between ‘Shannong 15’ and ‘Shannong 8355’ in WUE. Under W2, grain yield, WUE and IWUE had no significant differences. The lowest total water consumption amount (TWCA) was obtained in W0 in both cultivars. In ‘Shannong 15’, W1 had lower TWCA than that of W2, while there was no significant difference in ‘Shannong 8355’ between the two treatments. Soil water consumption amount and its ratio to TWCA in W1 were significantly higher than those in W2 in both cultivars. Under W1 condition, TWCA and the ratio of irrigation amount to that in ‘Shannong 15’ were significantly lower than those in ‘Shannong 8355’, but the ratio of soil water consumption amount to TWCA was the opposite. Under W2, there was no significant difference between TWCA and the ratio of soil water consumption amount to it. Dry matter accumulation at maturity of W1 was significantly higher than that in other treatments in both cultivars, and it was significantly lower for W1 and W2 in ‘Shannong 15’ than in ‘Shannong 8355’. Treatment W1 increased dry matter accumulation amount after anthesis and its contribution to grains in ‘Shannong 8355’, but it did not change significantly in ‘Shannong 15’. Dry matter translocation after anthesis, its ratio and contribution to grains of W1 and W2 in ‘Shannong 15’ were significantly higher than those in ‘Shannong 8355’, while dry matter accumulation after anthesis and its contribution to grains were the opposite. In wheat production under conditions similar to this study, the optimal irrigation treatment in both cultivars was W1.