New Zealand Journal of Crop and Horticultural Science abstracts
Effect of water control and plastic-film mulch on growth and the range
of size inequalities in spring wheat (Triticum aestivum) populations
Yan-jun Du1,2
Zi-zhen Li1,*
Wen-long Li1
1The State Key Laboratory of Arid Agroecology
Lanzhou University
Lanzhou 730000
People’s Republic of China
email: zizhenlee@lzu.edu.cn
2College of Economics and Management
Northwest Normal University
Lanzhou 730070
People’s Republic of China
email: duyanjun@nwnu.edu.cn
Abstract This study was conducted to determine the effect
of water supply regimes and plastic-film mulching on the harvest index (HI),
reproductive allocation (RA), and the range of size inequalities in spring
wheat (Triticum aestivum) populations, and to explore the mechanisms
causing them. Grain yield, biological yield, HI, and RA of spring wheat decreased
significantly (P < 0.001) along the irrigation gradient (applied
water decreased from 0.35 to 0.175 to 0 m3 m–2). Either
mulched or non-mulched, the range of size inequalities always increased.
HI and RA in the mulched treatment were significantly lower than in the non-mulched
treatment (P < 0.05). Results suggest that the range of size inequalities
in spring wheat populations are closely correlated with the water regime in
the field, and that under greater drought stress there are relatively smaller
plants with lower HI. A greater range of size inequalities may result in
growth redundancy. Appreciable growth redundancy occurred in spring wheat
populations mulched with plastic film, which may result from the exacerbated
interplant competition and self-thinning. Thus, spring wheat cultivation with
plastic-film mulching was not the best method, although grain yields increased
38.5% in mulched treatments compared with non-mulched control plots.
Keywords spring wheat; irrigation; plastic-film mulching;
size inequalities; harvest index; growth redundancy
H03113; Online publication date 15 July 2005 Received 16 December 2003;
accepted 23 March 2005
New Zealand Journal of Crop and Horticultural Science, 2005, Vol. 33:
251-260
0014-0671/05/3303-0251 © The Royal Society of New Zealand 2005
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