Responses of Gas Exchanges Characteristics and Biomass Accumulation and Allocation of Spring Wheat With Different Drought Tolerance to Water and Nitrogen Treatments
Abstract:In order to understand the selectivity difference of wheat how to adapt to environmental changes, field experiments were designed in split-split-plots, with three spring wheat cultivars (Heshangtou, Xihan No.2, Ningchun No.4), two irrigation levels (full irrigation 4 500 m3·hm-2 and limited irrigation 3 000 m3·hm-2) and five nitrogen levels (0, 75, 150, 225, and 300 kg·hm-2). Photosynthetic characteristics, biomass accumulation and allocation, yield components responses to water and nitrogen treatments of different drought tolerance spring wheat cultivars were studied.The results showed that leaf net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, transpiration rate and biomass were increased as water and nitrogen levels increased; when excessive nitrogen (Heshangtou and Xihan No.2 over 150 kg·hm-2, Ningchun No.4 over 225 kg·hm-2) was applied, the four indicators decreased. Spring wheat tends to increase yield components in resource-limiting environments (limited irrigation, low or excessive nitrogen application), while increase total biomass in resource-suitable environment (full irrigation, middle nitrogen application). Ningchun No.4 could get greater grain number per spike and thousand kernel weight under sufficient water and nitrogen supplement. Heshangtou could maintain constant yield components under water and nitrogen limitation. Xihan No.2 could have higher total biomass and yield output under either sufficient or insufficient water and nitrogen conditions. These results enriched our understanding of interactions between drought-tolerance of spring wheat and resource (water and nitrogen) supplying. We also obtained the selected tendency on biomass distribution and yield components of three varieties under different water and nitrogen conditions. These results provided theoretical basis for better understanding of crop resource use and yield response under stress environment.