Single Irrigation Enhanced Water Productivity of Rainfed Wheat under Mediterranean Environment

Abstract

Single or double irrigations of wheat are necessary to obtain optimum yield in a humid region with insufficient rainfall for agricultural production. Therefore, the hereby study was conducted with the aim of analysis of water productivity under rainfed and (single or double) irrigated conditions in a Mediterranean environment during 11 cropping years. There were investigated four treatments for irrigation management of wheat viz. rainfed without irrigation (T0), single irrigation at the flowering stage (T1), single irrigation at the grain filling stage (T2) and double irrigation at the flowering and grain filling stages (T3). Results revealed that the highest water productivity and optimum yield were acquired with single irrigation at the grain filling stage. This scheme caused an increase of 20% in grain yield relative to yield from rainfed condition. Rainfall, grain yield and water productivity of rainfed wheat were analyzed over 11 years and averaged 3,614 m3 ha-1, 1,970 kg ha-1 and 0.63 kg m-3, respectively. Results also showed that single or double irrigation had a high compensation effect on yield loss from water stress. Irrigation water productivity (1.31 kg m-3), water productivity (0.68 kg m-3) and irrigation ratio (2.2) indices determined for the 11 years. Water productivity of rainfed wheat by single irrigation at grain filling stage increased as 10% during 11 years.

Keywords

• irrigation management; rainfed wheat; water use efficiency; wheat yield