MEHRDAD NOWROOZI, SEYED HASSAN TABATABAEI, MOHAMAD REZA NOURI
Volume 7 Issue 30077 Pages 21-36 Publisher JOURNAL OF SOIL AND WATER RESOURCES CONSERVATION
Description: A pot experiment carried out to study the effects of date palm leaves bio char on WUE and some other performance components of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under conjunctive water and salinity stress conditions. The experiment was factorial based on a randomized complete design (RCD) with three replications during one growing season (2015-16). The treatments included bio char application rates (0 and 3% w/w), irrigation interval levels (3, 7 and 12 days) and water salinity levels (1.1, 3.8, 8 and 12 dS/m). The results showed significant (P< 0.05) effects of bio char on wheat WUE and yield components under conjunctive water and salinity stress conditions. Mean values of grain yield (GY), shoot dry weight (SDW) and root dry weight (RDW) increased 22%, 38% and 20% respectively, due to bio char addition. Also, mean values of evapotranspiration (ET), water use efficiency (WUE) and soil gravimetric water content before irrigation increased 18.6%, 8.7% and 23% respectively. Values of crop yield response factors to water stress (K y) for GY, SDW and RDW noticeably decreased in bio char treated pots, indicating reduced crop sensitivity to water deficiency. In addition, bio char addition reduced the slops of yield reduction and thresholds of soil solution salinity for GY, SDW and RDW indicating the increased crop tolerance to salinity. Therefore, bio char of date palm leaves, might be an effective conditioner to improve crop performance and water productivity particularly under water and salinity stress, although, further studies under field conditions is recommended to verify these results.