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DRYLAND CROPPING SYSTEMS

Establishment of Wheat Seedlings after Early Sowing and Germination in an Arid Mediterranean Environment

^a Agric. Res. Organ., Dep. of Field Crops and Nat. Resour., Volcani Cent., POB 6, Bet Dagan, 50250 Israel
^b Agric. Res. Organ., Dep. of Field Crops and Nat. Resour., Gilat Exp. Stn., M.P. Negev 2, 85280 Israel
^c Inst. for Agric. Res. according to the Torah, Yad Binyamin, 76812 Israel

* Corresponding author (bonfil{at}netvision.net.il)

Received for publication April 23, 2001. Seedling establishment of dryland crops in semiarid and arid zones is limited by precipitation. Spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L. emend. Thell.) generally is sown in dry soil in the dryland regions of Israel before the rainy season starts. We compared the effects of no-tillage, conventional tillage, and plant growth regulators on wheat seedling growth to identify the optimal crop management system for seedling establishment in dryland farming. Experiments were conducted during 1998 and 1999 at the Gilat Experimental Station located in southern Israel (annual precipitation of 222 and 72 mm for 1998 and 1999, respectively; soil type is sandy loam loess—Torrifluvents). Neither inhibitors of gibberellin synthesis (chlorocoline chloride, paclobutrazol, and trinexapac-ethyl) nor monopotassium phosphate (KH₂PO₄) enhanced seedling survival under drought stress when sprayed on seedlings at the two-leaf stage. No-tillage led to increases in water content in the upper (0–30 cm) soil layer and in seedling water content and seedling biomass. No-tillage management also maintained seedling viability compared with the control, with seedlings surviving as long as 35 d without precipitation. No-tillage management allows successful seedling establishment and growth after a dry period that follows germination.

Abbreviations: CT, conventional tillage • CW, continuous wheat • DW, dry weight • FW, fresh weight • GA, gibberellin • NT, no-tillage • PGR, plant growth regulator • WF, wheat after fallow