Effect of Different Irrigation Intervals on Wheat (Triticum aestivum L) in Semiarid Regions of Sudan.

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted for two consecutive winter seasons (2008/09-2009/010) at the Demonstration Farm, College of Agricultural Studies, Sudan University of Science and Technology, to study the effect of different irrigation intervals on growth, yield, yield components and water use efficiency of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.).Wheat cultivar Condor was grown with different irrigation intervals namely every 7, 10, 14, 21 and 28 days. The experimental design was a randomized complete block design with four replications. The parameters studied were: plant height, dry matter accumulation, number of plants/m2, number of tillers/plant, days to five leaf stages, days to 50% heading, days to maturity, number of spikes/m2, spikelets/spike, number of grains/spike, 1000-grain weight, grain and straw yield , water use efficiency and protein%. The results showed that there were highly significant differences in the studied parameters due to irrigation intervals, except for days to fifth leaf stage and harvest index in the first season and number of plant/m2 in second season, where the irrigation every 7days recorded higher values, slightly different from 10 days. The results showed highly significant differences in treatments effects on biomass, straw and grain yield, harvest index, water use efficiency and protein content. In general irrigation every 7 and 10 days gave the highest protein content, grain, straw yield and field water use efficiency. But for economics aspect irrigation every 10 days is recommended. Irrigation every 14 have no remarkable effect, on the other hand irrigation every 21, and 28 days must be avoided under this semi-arid condition.