Effect of Wheat Monoculture on Durum Wheat Yield under Rainfed Sub-Humid Mediterranean Climate of Tunisia

Asma Bouatrous; Kalthoum Harbaoui; Chahine Karmous; Samia Gargouri; Amir Souissi; Karima Belguesmi; Hatem Cheikh Mhamed; Mohamed Salah Gharbi; Mohamed Annabi

doi:10.3390/agronomy12061453

Agronomy (Jun 2022)

Effect of Wheat Monoculture on Durum Wheat Yield under Rainfed Sub-Humid Mediterranean Climate of Tunisia

Asma Bouatrous,
Kalthoum Harbaoui,
Chahine Karmous,
Samia Gargouri,
Amir Souissi,
Karima Belguesmi,
Hatem Cheikh Mhamed,
Mohamed Salah Gharbi,
Mohamed Annabi

Affiliations

Asma Bouatrous: Agronomic Sciences and Techniques Laboratory (LR16INRAT05), National Institute of Agronomic Research of Tunisia (INRAT), Carthage University, Hedi Karray Street, Ariana 2049, Tunisia
Kalthoum Harbaoui: Agronomic Sciences and Techniques Laboratory (LR16INRAT05), National Institute of Agronomic Research of Tunisia (INRAT), Carthage University, Hedi Karray Street, Ariana 2049, Tunisia
Chahine Karmous: Laboratory of Genetics and Plant Breeding, National Institute of Agronomy of Tunis, 43 Avenue Charles Nicolle, Tunis 1082, Tunisia
Samia Gargouri: Laboratory of Plant Protection (LR16INRAT04), National Institute of Agronomic Research of Tunisia (INRAT), University of Carthage, Hedi Karray Street, Ariana 2049, Tunisia
Amir Souissi: Agronomic Sciences and Techniques Laboratory (LR16INRAT05), National Institute of Agronomic Research of Tunisia (INRAT), Carthage University, Hedi Karray Street, Ariana 2049, Tunisia
Karima Belguesmi: Regional Field Crops Research Center of Beja (CRRGC) BP 350, Béja 9000, Tunisia
Hatem Cheikh Mhamed: Agronomic Sciences and Techniques Laboratory (LR16INRAT05), National Institute of Agronomic Research of Tunisia (INRAT), Carthage University, Hedi Karray Street, Ariana 2049, Tunisia
Mohamed Salah Gharbi: Field Crops Laboratory (LR16INRAT02), National Institute of Agricultural Research of Tunisia (INRAT), Carthage University, Hedi Karray Street, Ariana 2049, Tunisia
Mohamed Annabi: Agronomic Sciences and Techniques Laboratory (LR16INRAT05), National Institute of Agronomic Research of Tunisia (INRAT), Carthage University, Hedi Karray Street, Ariana 2049, Tunisia

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12061453
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 12, no. 6
p. 1453

Abstract

Read online

Cultivating cereals in monoculture systems contributes to the decrease in grain yield and quality. Currently, under Mediterranean climate conditions of Tunisia, wheat mono-cropping covers more than 70% of cereal areas. In order to reveal the impact of this practice on cereal productivity, five improved durum wheat cultivars (Karim, Khiar, Om Rabiaa, Razzek, and Maali) were conducted under two conditions of previous wheat crop: one-year wheat previous crop (W) and two successive years (W-W). Then, they were assessed for grain yield (GY), yield components (NKS, TKW, NS), straw yield, harvest index (SY, HI), and grain quality parameters during three consecutive cropping seasons (2017, 2018, and 2019). The results showed significant effects of cropping season for all measured parameters, except thousand kernel weight (TKW). A significant effect (p −1) more than after two years (W-W) (3277.3 kg ha−1). Our results show that, based on the three-year experiment, almost all yield related traits were significantly affected by the genotype except HI and NS. The highest GYs were recorded for Om Rabiaa (4010.4 kg ha−1) and Nasr (3765.76 kg ha−1). All grain quality was significantly (p < 0.05) affected by cropping season, but only gluten content (GC) and vitreousness aspect (Vit A) were affected by genotype. On the other hand, the Pre-Crop W-W decreased grain protein concentration (GPC) (12.13%) and GC (22.14%) but no significant effect was observed on the Vit A of grain in our study. Furthermore, GY was positively correlated with HI (r = 0.64), NKS (r = 0.59), SN (r = 0.49), GPC (r = 0.23), and GC (r = 0.23). According to stability analysis, the Karim cultivar is the most stable genotype in wheat mono-cropping for GY and straw yield (SY). Altogether, this study provides useful information for farmers on how to produce a satisfactory yield for durum wheat cultivation under mono-cropping wheat conditions in the sub-humid environment of the Mediterranean climate of Tunisia.

Published in Agronomy

ISSN: 2073-4395 (Online)
Publisher: MDPI AG
Country of publisher: Switzerland
LCC subjects: Agriculture
Website: http://www.mdpi.com/journal/agronomy

About the journal

Abstract

Keywords