Guan'gai paishui xuebao (Jun 2024)

The effect of irrigation amounts on growth, yield and water use efficiency of different varieties of tigernut

  • YIN Zi,
  • WANG Xingpeng,
  • ZHANG Lei,
  • ZHAO Fengnian,
  • LI Mingfa,
  • WANG Hongbo

DOI
https://doi.org/10.13522/j.cnki.ggps.2023545
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 43, no. 6
pp. 43 – 51

Abstract

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【Objective】 Tiger nut is a cash crop in southern Xinjiang and its production relies on irrigation. This paper presents the results of an experimental study on the effect of irrigation amounts on physiological traits, yield, and water use efficiency of different varieties of tiger nuts. 【Method】 The experiment studied two varieties: the Henan Round Grain (HY) and the Inner Mongolia Round Grain (NY), each irrigated by 18 mm (W1), 27 mm (W2), 36 mm (W3), and 45 mm (W4) of water, respectively. In each treatment, we measured the changes in soil water storage, plant height, tiller numbers, photosynthetic traits, yield, water consumption, and water use efficiency of the plants at different growing stages. 【Result】 Soil water storage and water consumption of both varieties increased with irrigation amount. Compared to W1, W4 increased average soil water storage and water consumption of the plants by 24.84% and 60.57% for the HY, and 18.46% and 55.61% for the NY, respectively. The plant height, tiller numbers, net photosynthesis (Pn), stomatal conductance (Gs), transpiration rate (Tr) and the yield of HY increased with irrigation amount (P<0.05), peaking in W2 with increases of 24.60%, 15.11%, 28.14%, 34.86%, 40.49% and 13.92% compared to W1. Intercellular carbon content (Ci) decreased with increasing irrigation amount. With the increase in irrigation amount, the plant height, tiller numbers, Pn, Gs, Tr, and the yield of NY all increased first followed by a decline; their associated values in W2 were 26.07%, 20.26%, 19.69%, 38.38%, 44.92% and 20.83% higher than those in W1. On average, Ci decreased with irrigation amount, being lowest in W2. Water use efficiency and irrigation water use efficiency of both varieties decreased with irrigation amount. Principal component analysis showed the net photosynthetic rate and water use efficiency can be used as indicators for variety selection. 【Conclusion】 The optimal irrigation amounts for the varieties HY and NY are 45 mm and 27 mm respectively, which can promote healthy growth, improve yields, and enhance water use efficiency of the plants.

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