Identifying the critical period for waterlogging on yield and its components in wheat and barley

Abstract

Background and aims Crop tolerance to waterlogging depends on factors such as species sensitivity and the stage of development that waterlogging occurs. The aim of this study was to identify the critical period for waterlogging on grain yield and its components, when applied during different stages of crop development in wheat and barley. Methods Two experiments were carried out (E1: early sowing date, under greenhouse; E2: late sowing date, under natural conditions). Waterlogging was imposed during 15-20 days in 5 consecutive periods during the crop cycle (from Leaf 1 emergence to maturity). ResultsThe greatest yield penalties occurred when waterlogging was applied from Leaf 7 appearance on the main stem to anthesis (from 34 to 92 % of losses in wheat, and from 40 to 79 % in barley for E1 and E2 respectively). Waterlogging during grain filling reduced yield to a lesser degree. In wheat, reductions in grain number were mostly explained by reduced grain number per spike while in barley, by variations in the number of spikes per plant. Conclusions The time around anthesis was identified as the most susceptible period to waterlogging in wheat and barley. Exposing the crop to more stressful conditions, e.g. delaying sowing date, magnified the negative responses to waterlogging, although the most sensitive stage (around anthesis) remained unchanged.

Chlorophyll Fluorescence and Yield Responses of Winter Wheat to Waterlogging at Different Growth Stages

“…Nevertheless, several other studies have demonstrated that waterlogging at the early phase of growth significantly reduced neither biomass nor yield of wheat because waterlogging occurring early in the crop cycle allowed plants to recover from stress by different mechanisms.,This would be related to the waterlogging duration and other factors. The duration of waterlogging in most previous studies were less than 20 days (Cannell et al, 1980;Jiang et al, 2008;de San Celedonio et al, 2014), but our study showed that after 35 d of waterlogging at different stages, the wheat was still alive and had some photosynthetic capacity. This was due to the soil texture of the experimental area.…”

“…Several studies examined the critical period of waterlogging on wheat grain yield, suggesting that the reproductive stages was more adversely affected than the vegetative growth stages (Li et al, 2001;Setter and Waters, 2003). However, some studies have demonstrated that the period from the beginning of stem elongation to anthesis were most sensitive to waterlogging, in terms of yield penalties (Shao et al, 2013;de San Celedonio et al, 2014). In the present study, tillering was most susceptible stage, followed by jointing, booting, and grain filling stages (Table 1).…”

“…Waterlogging is a global constraint on wheat (Triticum aestivum) production worldwide, particularly in irrigated areas and high rainfall environments (Shao et al, 2013;de San Celedonio et al, 2014). Waterlogging affects approximately 1 -15 million ha wheat globally, representing 15 -20% of the 70 million ha of wheat cultivated annually (Setter and Waters, 2003).…”

“…For example, Li et al (2001) concluded that waterlogging treatment during vegetative growth improves tolerance to waterlogging after anthesis in wheat. de San Celedonio et al (2014) concluded that the greatest yield reduction occurred when the plant was waterlogged during the period from seven leaves on the main stem to anthesis. In their studies, reduction in grain number was primarily reflected in the reduced grain numbers per spike.…”

Grain yield of durum wheat as affected by waterlogging at tillering

“…In common wheat plants waterlogged at the start of tillering, grain yield losses are mainly caused by a decrease in kernel number per plant (De San Celedonio et al 2014), or in kernel weight per plant (Ghobadi et al 2011), or by a combined reduction in kernel number per plant and the number of culms (Collaku and Harrison 2002). Common wheat tolerance to waterlogging is related to factors such as: i) the duration of the waterlogging event, ii) the crop development stage in which waterlogging occurs, and iii) the sensitivity of the species or variety (Belford 1981;Meyer and Barrs 1988;Brisson et al 2002;Ghobadi and Ghobadi 2010;De San Celedonio et al 2014).…”