Performance of Hybrid Wheat Cultivars Facing Deficit Irrigation under Semi-Arid Climate in Pakistan

Predicted decrease in water availability for crop production and uncertainty in climatic conditions require devising the irrigation strategies to increase water use efficiency (WUE) for sustainable crop production. The development of crop cultivars with higher WUE is a pre-requisite for such strateg...

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Main Authors: Muhammad Mehran Anjum, Muhammad Arif, Muhammad Riaz, Kashif Akhtar, Sheng Quan Zhang, Chang Ping Zhao
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2021-09-01
Series:Agronomy
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/11/10/1976
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author Muhammad Mehran Anjum
Muhammad Arif
Muhammad Riaz
Kashif Akhtar
Sheng Quan Zhang
Chang Ping Zhao
author_facet Muhammad Mehran Anjum
Muhammad Arif
Muhammad Riaz
Kashif Akhtar
Sheng Quan Zhang
Chang Ping Zhao
author_sort Muhammad Mehran Anjum
collection DOAJ
description Predicted decrease in water availability for crop production and uncertainty in climatic conditions require devising the irrigation strategies to increase water use efficiency (WUE) for sustainable crop production. The development of crop cultivars with higher WUE is a pre-requisite for such strategies, particularly in developing countries, including Pakistan, who face stern food security challenges. A two-year field study was conducted following a split-plot randomized complete block design to understand the effects of wheat cultivars (hybrid cultivars, 18A-1 and 18A-2, and local cultivar Ghaneemat IBGE-2016), sowing dates (15th November, 30th November, and 15th December), and irrigation regimes [I (103 mm), II (175 mm), III (254 mm), and IV (330 mm)] at four different growth stages of tillering, booting, anthesis and grain filling on wheat productivity, biomass production and grain yield, and crop-water relations. Early sown hybrid cultivars 18A-1 and 18A-2 showed significantly higher biological and grain yields compared to the local cultivar (59% and 69% higher than the local cultivar). Trends in biomass production and grain yield were also similar at later sowing dates of 30th November and 15th December. However, biological and grain yields decreased with delay in sowing for each cultivar. The data also revealed that hybrid cultivars were better suited to deficient irrigation and generally produced significantly higher biological and grain yields under each moisture regime. Cultivars, sowing dates, and irrigation regime differed significantly for their effects on the Soil Plant Analysis Development (SPAD) values, chlorophyll a and b contents but not for carotenoids. Sowing dates and irrigation regimes had significant effects on relative water content (RWC), water saturation deficit (WSD), water uptake capacity (WUC), and water retention capacity (WRC); however, only WUC varied significantly between the cultivars. The phenological data show that hybrid cultivars took more days to maturity and grain filling than the local cultivar, and days decreased with delayed sowing. The biological and grain yields show significant positive correlations with SPAD values (<i>p</i> < 0.001) and days to maturity (<i>p</i> < 0.001). Our study shows that hybrid wheat cultivars can be opted for higher biomass production and grain yields under deficit irrigation scenarios of semi-arid climatic conditions in Pakistan. Moreover, the hybrid wheat cultivars can perform better than the indigenous cultivar even for delayed sowing dates of 30th November and 15th December.
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spelling doaj.art-8642272966a3455084727ced58f722e72023-12-03T13:23:24ZengMDPI AGAgronomy2073-43952021-09-011110197610.3390/agronomy11101976Performance of Hybrid Wheat Cultivars Facing Deficit Irrigation under Semi-Arid Climate in PakistanMuhammad Mehran Anjum0Muhammad Arif1Muhammad Riaz2Kashif Akhtar3Sheng Quan Zhang4Chang Ping Zhao5Department of Agronomy, The University of Agriculture, Peshawar 25000, PakistanDepartment of Agronomy, The University of Agriculture, Peshawar 25000, PakistanDepartment of Environmental Sciences & Engineering, Government College University, Faisalabad 38000, PakistanState Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bio-Resources, College of Life Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, ChinaBeijing Engineering Research Center for Hybrid Wheat (BERCHW), Beijing Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences (BAAFS), No. 9 Shuguang Garden Middle Road of Banjing, Beijing 100097, ChinaBeijing Engineering Research Center for Hybrid Wheat (BERCHW), Beijing Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences (BAAFS), No. 9 Shuguang Garden Middle Road of Banjing, Beijing 100097, ChinaPredicted decrease in water availability for crop production and uncertainty in climatic conditions require devising the irrigation strategies to increase water use efficiency (WUE) for sustainable crop production. The development of crop cultivars with higher WUE is a pre-requisite for such strategies, particularly in developing countries, including Pakistan, who face stern food security challenges. A two-year field study was conducted following a split-plot randomized complete block design to understand the effects of wheat cultivars (hybrid cultivars, 18A-1 and 18A-2, and local cultivar Ghaneemat IBGE-2016), sowing dates (15th November, 30th November, and 15th December), and irrigation regimes [I (103 mm), II (175 mm), III (254 mm), and IV (330 mm)] at four different growth stages of tillering, booting, anthesis and grain filling on wheat productivity, biomass production and grain yield, and crop-water relations. Early sown hybrid cultivars 18A-1 and 18A-2 showed significantly higher biological and grain yields compared to the local cultivar (59% and 69% higher than the local cultivar). Trends in biomass production and grain yield were also similar at later sowing dates of 30th November and 15th December. However, biological and grain yields decreased with delay in sowing for each cultivar. The data also revealed that hybrid cultivars were better suited to deficient irrigation and generally produced significantly higher biological and grain yields under each moisture regime. Cultivars, sowing dates, and irrigation regime differed significantly for their effects on the Soil Plant Analysis Development (SPAD) values, chlorophyll a and b contents but not for carotenoids. Sowing dates and irrigation regimes had significant effects on relative water content (RWC), water saturation deficit (WSD), water uptake capacity (WUC), and water retention capacity (WRC); however, only WUC varied significantly between the cultivars. The phenological data show that hybrid cultivars took more days to maturity and grain filling than the local cultivar, and days decreased with delayed sowing. The biological and grain yields show significant positive correlations with SPAD values (<i>p</i> < 0.001) and days to maturity (<i>p</i> < 0.001). Our study shows that hybrid wheat cultivars can be opted for higher biomass production and grain yields under deficit irrigation scenarios of semi-arid climatic conditions in Pakistan. Moreover, the hybrid wheat cultivars can perform better than the indigenous cultivar even for delayed sowing dates of 30th November and 15th December.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/11/10/1976hybrid wheat cultivarirrigation regimesowing datescrop–water relationsgrain yield
spellingShingle Muhammad Mehran Anjum
Muhammad Arif
Muhammad Riaz
Kashif Akhtar
Sheng Quan Zhang
Chang Ping Zhao
Performance of Hybrid Wheat Cultivars Facing Deficit Irrigation under Semi-Arid Climate in Pakistan
Agronomy
hybrid wheat cultivar
irrigation regime
sowing dates
crop–water relations
grain yield
title Performance of Hybrid Wheat Cultivars Facing Deficit Irrigation under Semi-Arid Climate in Pakistan
title_full Performance of Hybrid Wheat Cultivars Facing Deficit Irrigation under Semi-Arid Climate in Pakistan
title_fullStr Performance of Hybrid Wheat Cultivars Facing Deficit Irrigation under Semi-Arid Climate in Pakistan
title_full_unstemmed Performance of Hybrid Wheat Cultivars Facing Deficit Irrigation under Semi-Arid Climate in Pakistan
title_short Performance of Hybrid Wheat Cultivars Facing Deficit Irrigation under Semi-Arid Climate in Pakistan
title_sort performance of hybrid wheat cultivars facing deficit irrigation under semi arid climate in pakistan
topic hybrid wheat cultivar
irrigation regime
sowing dates
crop–water relations
grain yield
url https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/11/10/1976
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