RESPONSE OF WHEAT (Triticum Aestivum L.) YIELD AND YIELD COMPONENTS UNDER DIFFERENT MOISTURE STRESS LEVELS AT GEWANE WOREDA, AFAR REGION, ETHIOPIA

Abstract

Enhancing water productivity of irrigated crops through Agricultural water management practices is a vital option in water scarce areas. Field experiment was conducted at demonstration site of Gewane Agricultural Technical Vocational and Educational Training College located in Gewane woreda, Afar region, Ethiopia. The objective of this research was aimed to identify optimum moisture stress levels for wheat under moisture stress area of Gewane woreda. Ten deficit irrigation levels namely (45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80, 85 and 90 %ETc) and the control (100%ETc) irrigation water application were used in whole growing season of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Adopted wheat variety Fentale -2 was used as testing crop and laid out in randomized complete block design with three replications. The daily climatic parameters used to estimate ETo were collected from Gewane meteorological station. Daily crop water requirement (ETc) was estimated by multiplying reference evapotranspiration with crop coefficient. Yield and yield components were collected and analyzed using SAS 9.0 statistical software. The analysis of variance showed that, the reduction of water application (moisture stress levels) had a highly significant (p<0.01) effect on growth parameters, yield and yield components except on the number of tillers per square meter and harvesting index as compared to the full irrigation (100%ETc). The result also showed that, the grain yield reduced as the stress levels increased, whereas water use efficiency was increased as the stress levels increased. The highest grain yield of 4472.2 kg/ha was obtained from full irrigation( 100%ETc) which had no significant difference with irrigation water application up to 70%ETc. Whereas the lowest grain yield of 3475.7 kg/ha was recorded from 45%ETc. In terms of water use efficiency, the highest and lowest water use efficiency of 1.32 and 0.82 kg/m3 was obtained from 45 and 100%ETc respectively. Therefore, wheat could be irrigated at 70%ETc to improve water use efficiency without a significant grain yield reduction. Moreover, it could be irrigated at 45%ETc in area where water use efficiency is top priority with compromise of grain yield reduction by 22.28% as result of saved water to irrigate other crops