Flood irrigation of wheat on a transitional red-brown earth. I. Effect of duration of ponding on soil water, plant growth, yield and N uptake

Abstract

Long periods of waterlogging during irrigation are thought to adversely affect wheat growth and yield. This work quantifies these effects for wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cv. Bindawarra) growing on a transitional red-brown earth. The crop was irrigated on four occasions during spring. At each irrigation six ponding treatments were imposed involving sprinkler irrigation (SP) or flooding for 1, 12, 24, 48 or 96 h. Each plot always received the same treatment. Nitrogen fertilizer was applied at sowing (23 kg N ha-1 as ammonium phosphates) and at the end of tillering, 3 weeks before the first irrigation (100 kg N ha-1 as urea). There was also a 1 h ponding treatment which did not receive urea at the end of tillering. Grain yield on the 48 h and 96 h ponding treatments was significantly lower than on SP, 1 h and 12 h. Yield declined by 69 kg ha-1 for each day that water was ponded on the surface, or by 55 kg ha-1 for each day that the estimated soil water depletion was below 25 mm. The wheat crop suffered stress due to lack of aeration for periods varying from 42% (1 h and SP) to 68% (96 h) of the time interval between early stem elongation and physiological maturity. The grain yield and N uptake data indicate that the site was highly responsive to N fertilizer. However, there was no significant effect of ponding treatment on total N uptake, suggesting that the yield differences between the ponding treatments were not caused by differences in N availability. The results demonstrate that yield loss through waterlogging can be minimized by changing to irrigation management practices that minimise the period of ponding.

Mechanisms of waterlogging tolerance in wheat – a review of root and shoot physiology

“…) and yield of wheat (Sharma & Swarup ; Melhuish et al . ). However, under some conditions (4–12 °C), wheat can recover from prolonged waterlogging (42 to 80 d) with yields achieving 82–96% of controls (Cannell et al .…”

Short‐term waterlogging has long‐term effects on the growth and physiology of wheat

“…, 2001) and the duration of the waterlogging event (Jackson, 1979). For wheat, waterlogging for periods as short as 1 or 2 d can decrease final yield (Sharma & Swarup, 1988; Melhuish et al. , 1991), although other authors have reported no yield penalty for wheat after 4 d of waterlogging (Meyer & Barrs, 1988).…”

“…These effects become more pronounced during prolonged periods of waterlogging, lasting weeks or months (Ponnamperuma, 1984). Even short‐term, transient waterlogging (lasting hours or days) can have considerable effects on growth and yield of dryland crops (Leyshon & Sheard, 1974; Jackson, 1979; Sharma & Swarup, 1988; Melhuish et al. , 1991).…”

Increase in wheat production through management of abiotic stresses : A review

“…Secondly, by use of FIRB method of planting which make it possible to drain fields or keep a large portion of the root system out of waterlogged soils (Abebe et al, 1992 andTedia et al, 1994). Thirdly, adopting furrow or sprinkler irrigation on waterlogging prone soils reduces the problem significantly (Melhuish et al, 1991). Fourthly, by using wheat genotypes which getting established once, can withstand waterlogging up to 10 days with no yield loss, if the wheat leaves are not submerged.…”