CANOLA RESPONSE TO SOIL WATER DEFICIT

Abstract

This work was carried out at Gómez Palacio, Durango, México. The goal of the study was to find a production function for relating canola (Brassica napus L.) yield with soil water content. Seven irrigation treatments were applied, of which six were levels of residual available soil moisture depletion (0, 12, 24, 36, 48 and 60 %), and a treatment of one irrigation applied before sowing. The experiment was a complete randomized block design with four replications. The measured variables were grain yield, water use efficiency and water crop consumption. According to the production function obtained, it is possible to reach a grain yield of 3.1 t ha^-1, with a water depth of 48 cm by irrigating at 35 % of residual soil available water, equivalent to a soil water tension of -0.74 MPa.