Effect of Groundwater Quality on Yield Index and Nutrient Concentration in Stem Plant Tissue of Winter Wheat (Triticum turgidum L.)

Abstract

The field experiment was conducted at private land in Grdarasha southern Erbil, Iraq, to study the effect of seven water qualities having electrical conductivity of 0.42, 0.50, 1.43, 2.20, 2.60, 5.40, and 5.70 dS/m on chemical characteristics and growth of plant and protein percent in wheat grains in winter season of 2015–2016. The crop was cultivated on December 11, 2015, and continued growing to May 30, 2016. The experiment land was equally divided into three plots spaced 75 cm between them. The results showed that weights and lengths of straw and spike were reduced by W.q5 67.49 and 100.01 g and 51.87 and 6.30 cm increased with W.q3 treatment 96.58 and 139.17 g and 91.08 and 10.57 cm, respectively, and wheat grains protein percentage was also increased by W.q6 (13.70) treatment comparing with minimum percentage of protein by W.q5 (7.26). The data of irrigation by saline water of W.q7 resulted concentration increasing of Ca2+, Mg2+, and Na+ (7.39, 2.22, and 4.52 mg/g); while the concentrations of the same elements were 1.54, 0.61, and 1.81 mg/g by W.q2 watering, respectively. Potassium concentration was the highest (0.16 mg/g) by W.q2 water compared to minimum level (0.06 mg/g) with W.q5 irrigation. The watering by W.q5 (0.29 mg/g) resulted was lower concentration of phosphorus in the plant compared to minimal saline water W.q3 and W.q4 (0.34 mg/g).

Keywords

• groundwater;
• saline water;
• wheat;
• yield index