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

Abstract

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 < 0.05) of Pre-Crop was observed on yield components. However, grain yield (GY) was improved after one-year wheat Pre-Crop (W) (4082.3 kg ha−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.

Be a man: A theory of climate change, masculinities and violence

“…It is also revealing to consider the Tunisian context in the years since the 2011 revolution. In this time period, the country has experienced increasingly disruptive impacts of climate change including several years of drought (Cordall, 2023; Pechan et al, 2023) and has also been severely impacted by issues of food security (Bouatrous et al, 2022) and migration (McKenzie & Balkiz, 2022), especially in recent years. Beyond these factors, and sometimes linked to them, there has been a period of intense political instability and contestation.…”

Variation of the Thousand Kernel Weight in Wheat in Relation to NPK Mineral Fertilization

“…In specific experimental conditions (wheat durum, monoculture, specific climate conditions in Tunisia), Bouatrous et al (2022) reported that TKW did not register significant variations in relation to the crop season compared to other analyzed production indices, under statistical safety conditions (p<0.001). They also communicated that no significant differences were recorded for TKW in the first three years of cultivation.…”