Vegetative nitrogen stress decreases lodging risk and increases yield of irrigated spring wheat in the subtropics

Peake, A S and Bell, K L and Carberry, P S and Poole, N and Raine, S R (2016) Vegetative nitrogen stress decreases lodging risk and increases yield of irrigated spring wheat in the subtropics. Crop and Pasture Science, 67 (9). pp. 907-920. ISSN 1836-0947

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Abstract

In-crop nitrogen (N) application is used widely in rainfed winter wheat production to reduce lodging risk; however, uncertainty exists as to its ability to reduce lodging risk in subtropical irrigated wheat production without simultaneously reducing yield potential. The objective of this study was therefore to determine whether in-crop N application reduces lodging risk without reducing yield of irrigated spring wheat in a subtropical environment. Irrigated small-plot experiments were conducted to compare the effect of alternative N timing on lodging and yield in two cultivars. Variable N regimes were imposed during the vegetative growth phase, after which additional N was applied to ensure that total season N application was uniform across N-timing treatments. Treatments with low N at sowing had significantly less lodging and were the highest yielding, exhibiting yield increases of up to 0.8 t ha–1 compared to treatments with high N at sowing. Increased leaf area index, biomass and tiller count at the end of the vegetative growth phase were correlated with increased lodging in both cultivars, although the strength of the correlation varied with cultivar and season. We conclude that canopy-management techniques can be used to simultaneously increase yield and decrease lodging in irrigated spring wheat in the subtropics, but require different implementation from techniques used in temperate regions of Australia.

Item Type:	Article
Divisions:	UNSPECIFIED
CRP:	UNSPECIFIED
Uncontrolled Keywords:	G×E×M, in-season nitrogen, irrigation, plant population, split nitrogen, yield potential
Subjects:	Others > Wheat
Depositing User:	Mr Ramesh K
Date Deposited:	07 Jan 2017 10:32
Last Modified:	07 Jan 2017 10:32
URI:	http://oar.icrisat.org/id/eprint/9832
Official URL:	http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/CP16052
Projects:	UNSPECIFIED
Funders:	UNSPECIFIED
Acknowledgement:	CSIRO and the Grains Research and Development Corporation are gratefully acknowledged for partially funding this study. The assistance of the farm management team at CSIRO is also greatly appreciated.
Links:	Google Scholar

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