Effect Of Water Salinity In Sprinkler Irrigation On Yield Of Different Wheat Cultivars

This study was conducted to determine the effect of water salinity in sprinkler irrigation on yield of different wheat cultivars, using different mixtures of saline and fresh water. The experiment was conducted in a Randomized Complete Block with split plot arrangement with four replications in 1998-1999 growing season at Roodasht Agricultural Research Station in Isfahan. The main plots were four water quality treatments (average 5, 7, 9 and 11 ds/m) and the sub plots were four cultivars of wheat (Mahdavi, Cross Sorkhtokhm, Ghods and Niknezhad). Each replication was 15x30 meters. The sprinkler effective radius was 15 meters and spraying angle was 360. The comparison of treatment means with LSD method at P=0.05 revealed that different water qualities affected grain yields of cultivars significantly. The grain yield in 11 ds/m water quality treatment decreased by 50 percent, compared with that of the 5 ds/m water quality treatment. Effects of different cultivars on grain yield were not significant, although Mahdavi and Niknezhad had the highest and the lowest grain yields, respectively. The mean dry weight in earing and physiological maturity stages were significantly different. Mahdavi produced the highest and Niknezhad the lowest dry weight. The mean 1000-grainweight of the varieties had significant difference. Mahdavi and Ghods had the highest and the lowest 1000-grain weight, respectively. The mean Na+ and K+ ions concentrations in flag leaf at flowering (GS=65) had significant difference. Mahdavi had the highest K+ and the lowest Na+ concentrations in its nag leaf.