Response of wheat to single short-term waterlogging during and after stem elongation

Abstract

Transient waterlogging associated with spring irrigations on slowly draining soils causes yield reduction in irrigated wheat. Physiological responses to short-term flooding are not well understood. The aim of this experiment was to monitor above- and below-ground responses of wheat to single waterlogging events during and after stem elongation and to assess the sensitivity of the crop at these growth stages to flooding. Wheat (cv. Bindawarra) was grown in drainage lysimeters of undisturbed cores of Marah clay loam soil. A control treatment (F0) was well-watered throughout the season without surface flooding, while three others were flooded for 96 h at stem elongation (Fl), flag leaf emergence (F2) and anthesis (F3), respectively. Soil water content, soil O2, root length density, leaf and stem growth, apparent photosynthesis (APS), plant nutrient status and grain yield were measured. Soil water content increased and soil O2 levels decreased following flooding; the rate of soil O2 depletion increasing with crop age and root length. Leaf and stem growth and APS increased immediately following flooding, the magnitude of the increases was in the order F1 >F2>F3. A similar order existed in the effect of flooding which decreased the number of roots. Subsequently, leaf and stem growth decreased below that of F0 plants in F1, and briefly in F2. Decreases in APS of treated plants compared to F0 plants appeared to be due to their greater sensitivity to soil water deficit. There was no effect of flooding on grain yield. It is suggested that, while plant sensitivity to flooding decreased with age, flooding at stem elongation had no lasting detrimental effect on yield when post-flood watering was well controlled.

Seed size and adventitious (nodal) roots as factors influencing the tolerance of wheat to waterlogging

“…Cannell et al (1980) and Meyer and Barrs (1988) reported a decreased sensitivity to waterlogging with age of the wheat plants. Similarly, Setter (2000) reported that the seed mass accounted for up to 27% of the variation in survival of seeds subjected to waterlogging for various crops.…”

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).…”

Roots in irrigated clay soils: Measurement techniques and responses to rootzone conditions

“…In the cotton experiment of 1982/83 there were no differences in total root counts between plants flooded for 7 days and non-flooded controis, but there was a shift in root distribution through the profile. Generally, surface flooding caused roots to grow at, near or even above the ground surface while roots ceased to grow in the deeper layers where oxygen levels were low (see Meyer and Barrs 1988). At the 0.55 m soil depth, there was a clear indication ( Fig.…”

“…Effects of waterlogging. Effects of transient waterlogging on above and below ground plant responses were reported with wheat 1982 and 1985 (Meyer and Barrs 1988), cotton 1982/83 (Meyer etal. 1987a), and maize 1983/84 (Meyer et al 1987b).…”