Seed priming enhances wheat yield and its crop productivity under irrigation regime

Hamed, H. M. A.; El-Sayed, M. M.; El-Shazoly, Rasha M.

doi:10.21608/aasj.2022.283409

Seed priming enhances wheat yield and its crop productivity under irrigation regime

Document Type : Research article

Authors

¹ Soils and Water Science Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Al-Azhar University, Assuit 71524, Egypt

² Botany and Microbiology Department, Faculty of Science, New Valley University, 72511, Al-Kharja, New Valley, Egypt

10.21608/aasj.2022.283409

Abstract

The field experiment was carried out at a private farm, Eneiybes, Juhayna, Sohag governorate, Egypt which is located at 26° 73^- 67⁼ N latitude and 31° 47^- 56⁼ E longitude during two consecutive growing winter seasons of 2019/20 and 2020/21 to assess the effect of seed priming on wheat yield and water productivity under drought stress. The experiment was laid out in a split plots design with three replicates. The main plots were assigned to drought stress (90, 75, and 60% field capacity, FC). The split plots were allocated to seed priming treatments (No, Hydro and CaCl₂). The obtained results indicated that 90% FC with No priming treatment realized the highest amount of water consumptive use, WCU, 4866.45 m³ ha^-1 and irrigation water applied, IWA, 6469.19 m³ ha^-1 as an average value of both seasons. While the lowest amount of WCU and IWA were obtained at 60% FC with CaCl₂ treatment since they were 3887.57 and 5169.66 m3 ha^-1, respectively. The highest field irrigation water use (1.61 kg m^-3) and crop water productivity (2.14 kg m^-3) were attained at 60% FC with CaCl₂ as an average value of both seasons While the lowest values were obtained at 90% FC with No priming treatment for the corresponding parameters since they were 1.20 and 1.59 kg m^-3 , respectively. Wheat yield and grain N content were significantly influenced by irrigation regime, as well as by seed priming. The highest grain yield was recorded with CaCl₂ treatment since it was 8.520 Mgha^-1 at 90% FC in the 1^st season and 9.320 Mg ha^-1 at 75% FC in the 2^nd season. The lowest grain yield (6.960 and 7.277 Mg ha^-1 in the 1^st and 2^nd seasons, respectively) was recorded at 60% FC with No priming. The highest grain nitrogen content (2.94%) was recorded at 60% FC with CaCl₂ as an average value of both seasons. While the lowest value (2.22%) was recorded at 90% FC with No priming as an average value of both seasons.It could be concluded that seed priming is a very useful practice that effectively mitigates abiotic stresses of water deficit at the same time increases crop water productivity and enhances wheat yield traits and its quality.

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