Vegetative Growth Response of Young Seedlings of Five Almond Cultivars to Water Deficit

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Abstract

 Water deficit is the most important restrictive factor agricultural productions in arid and semi arid zones. To study the effects of water deficit on vegetative growth of five almond cultivars, an experiment was conducted in 2003-04 growing season, using a split plot based on completely randomized block design. Four irrigation regimes based on 20, 40, 60 and 80 mm evaporation from surface of class A pan were considered as main plots and seedling of five almond cultivars Mamaei, Rabie, Sefid, Shahroud 12 and Shahroud 21 as sub plots. Seeds of these cultivars were sown in nylon bags during autum to receive enough natural chilling. Two month after germination and growth, the seedlings with uniform stem diameter and plant height were selected and planted in plastic pots (30Ã-40 cm) and were treated with different irrigation periods for 120 days. The results showed that increasing irrigation period had significant effect on reduction of plant height, stem diameter, number of internodes, branches, leaf area and shoot and root dry weight, but internodes length and shoot to root dry weight ratio were not significantly decreased. Seedlings had significant differences in plant height, stem diameter, shoot and root dry weight, leaf area, number of internodes and shoot to root dry weight ratio. With increasing irrigation period shoot dry weight decreased in Shahroud 12, rabbie, Sefid, Mamaei and Shahroud 21 cultivars respectively. The amount of leaf nitrogen and potassium and root nitrogen was increased with water deficit. According to the results, with increasing of irrigation period, vegetative traits decreas in seedlings of Shahrood 21, Mamaei, Sefid, Rabie and Shahrood 12 cultivars, respectively.  

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Seed and Plant Journal
Volume 25, Issue 4
December 2009
Pages 551-567

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