Attempts at avoiding the yield constraints of bread wheat (T. aestivum) in mediterranean environments

• Published in: Journal of agronomy and crop science (1986) Vol. 168; no. 1; pp. 49 - 60
• Main Authors: Borghi, B. (Istituto Sperimentale per la Cerealicoltura, Milano (Italy)), Guiducci, M, Corbellini, M, Monotti, M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.02.1992; Blackwell
• Subjects: Adaptation to environment and cultivation conditions; Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; AIR TEMPERATURE; Biological and medical sciences; BLE; CARACTERES DE RENDIMIENTO; COMPOSANTE DE RENDEMENT; CROP YIELD; evolution; FACTEUR DE RENDEMENT; FACTORES DE RENDIMIENTO; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Genetics and breeding of economic plants; grain yield; green area; HUMEDAD; HUMIDITE; HUMIDITY; irrigation; ITALIA; ITALIE; ITALY; RENDEMENT DES CULTURES; RENDIMIENTO DE CULTIVOS; Stress; TEMPERATURA DEL AIRE; TEMPERATURE DE L'AIR; TRIGO; TRITICUM AESTIVUM; VARIEDADES; Varietal selection. Specialized plant breeding, plant breeding aims; VARIETE; VARIETIES; WHEATS; YIELD COMPONENTS; YIELD FACTORS; Italy; Europe; Mediterranean Basin; Irrigation; Monocotyledones; Climate; Temperature; Constraint; Water deficit; Tolerance; Environmental factor; Water balance; Varietal selection; Cereal crop; Stress; Gramineae; Angiospermae; Spermatophyta; Yield; Triticum aestivum; Cultivar
• ISSN: 0931-2250; 1439-037X
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1439-037X.1992.tb00976.x

In bread wheat, in spite of the upward trend of grain yield, the Italian average production remains far below that of Central or Northern Europe. Recognized constraints are water availability to plants and the increase of air temperature during the grain filling period. To quantify these aspects, three varieties remarkably different in several morphophysiological traits were grown for three years under different water regimes in two locations of North and Central Italy. The grain yield potential of the two locations was similar although if in the Southern location the plants were taller, with a denser canopy and a greater number of smaller seeds. Irrigation after flowering increased yield and yield stability; however, at high air temperatures, dry matter accumulation ceased even though water in the soil was abundantly available. These results suggest the possibility of applying irrigation during grain filling, but a more realistic approach seems to be selection of new varieties characterized by moderate carliness and capacity to sustain kernel growth for a longer period even in the presence of high air temperatures.