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Title: MODEL ANALYSIS OF A NO-TILL, MULCH SYSTEM FOR CONTINUOUS WHEAT IN AN ARID CLIMATE

Author
item Sinclair, Thomas
item AMIR, JACOB - ARO, GILAT STATION ISRAEL

Submitted to: Agronomy Journal
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/26/1996
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: A new no-till, stubble mulch (NTM) management system has been developed experimentally for use in wheat production in arid climates. The NTM system has been found to increase substantially grain yield over continuous wheat and to approximate yields of fallow wheat. The basis of this increase in production is the fact that the NTM system ameliorates the damaging effects of cereal cyst nematode. The effect of the nematode is primarily on limiting root growth so that the amount of soil water available to the plants is restricted. However, the experimental results are thus far limited to three seasons. This paper reports an attempt to simulate the interaction of nematode damage and wheat growth. The model was successful in reproducing experimental results. Importantly, model simulations over 16 seasons indicated that the annual yields of the NTM system equalled the biennial yields of the conventional fallow system. Consequently, the NTM system has the potential to double wheat grain production in arid climates.

Technical Abstract: Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) production in dryland regions is severely limited by the cereal cyst nematode (Heterodera avenae Woll.). Conventional, fallow management system allows hatching of cysts during the fallow season and thereby sanitize the soil for the subsequent wheat crop. Recently a no-till, stubble mulch (NTM) management has been introduced that ameliorates the nematode damage and allows continuous wheat production. Only 3 seasons of experimentation exist with the NTM system so questions remain about the performance of the NTM over a range of seasons. A simple, mechanistic wheat model was extended to simulate wheat growth on nematode infested soils. Good agreement between simulations and 16 seasons of yield observations were obtained on continuous wheat. The effect of NTM was simulated simply by inhibiting soil evaporation which resulted in higher levels of soil water and decreased nematode activity. Good agreement was obtained between the 3 seasons of experimental data and simulations of the NTM system, with predicted grain yield being within 10% of observations. Simulations of the NTM system indicated substantial grain yield increases over normal, continuous wheat in all but the highest yielding season. Simulations showed that the annual yields of the NTM were equivalent to the biennial yields of the fallow system, resulting in a predicted doubling of wheat production.