ENVIROMENT AND LIMITED IRRIGATION IMPACTS ON WHEAT GRAIN YIELD IN GUANAJUATO, MEXICO

Abstract

Wheat production in Mexico faces a shortage of water for irrigation; therefore, it is necessary to generate germplasm with less water need and evaluate new wheat germplasm with greater tolerance to water deficit. The objective of this research was to evaluate the productivity of six wheat genotypes under two irrigation schedules, during three Autumn-Winter cycles (2013 to 2016). It was observed that the evaluation cycles had a greater impact on the expression of days to maturity, number of spikes m^-2, weight of a thousand grains, days to flowering, grains m^-2 and number of grains per ear and grain yield. Of the total variability generated by the study factors and their interactions, the yield variability was mainly explained by the evaluation cycles, irrigations, genotypes, as well as by the interactions cycles × irrigations, genotypes × cycles and genotypes × irrigations. With four irrigations, the genotypes presented a larger number of days to maturity, as well as a greater amount of biomass, a greater number of grains per spike, a greater number of spikes m^-2 and higher number of grains m^-2; this allowed obtaining 840 kg ha^-1 more of grain compared to three irrigations. The Bárcenas S2002 variety was outstanding under restricted irrigation by presenting fewer days to flowering and grain maturity, and obtained the highest yield, the highest biomass production, number of ears per m^-2, number of grains per m^-2 and weight of one thousand grains.