Effect of changes in moisture profiles of a transitional red-brown earth with surface and slotted gypsum applications on the development and yield of a wheat crop

Abstract

The low productivity of transitional red-brown earths for flood irrigated upland cropping is associated with their low infiltration rates and inadequate aeration of the root zone. The effect of the measured changes in the moisture and aeration profiles with surface and slotted gypsum applications on growth and development of a wheat crop was evaluated in a preliminary field study, on non-replicated plots.The patterns of changes in moisture profiles in the gypsum slotted plots were similar to those observed in the previous season, namely, deeper preferential wetting and faster internal drainage through the slots. This resulted in lower volumetric moisture contents in the slots and in the surface and subsurface layers between slots, compared to the non-slotted plots.The critical moisture contents were defined for each soil depth at which an air-filled porosity of 0.08 mm3 mm-3 was reached. For the transitional red-brown earth used in this study, air-filled porosity needs to be larger than 0.08 mm3 mm-3 to provide a soil pathway for oxygen flow to roots. The moisture profiles in the no-gypsum, surface gypsum and slotted gypsum plots measured throughout the cropping season indicated the period of time when oxygen flow through different soil layers was likely to be restricted. The moisture contents were higher than the critical value in the surface and subsurface layers of the non-slotted plots, particularly in the plot with no gypsum applications, during a period in winter with prolonged rainfall and low evapotranspiration rates. This resulted in reductions in the rates of phasic development, tillering, canopy closure and dry matter production and finally lower yields in the non-slotted plots, especially in the plot without gypsum. Differences in grain yields were mainly due to differences in the number of spikes m-2.During the second half of the growing season higher potential evapotranspiration, lower rainfall and accurate irrigation scheduling resulted in the moisture contents being maintained below the critical limits at all depths in all plots. Consequently, the two yield components which were determined during this period, namely, the number of kernels per spike and kernel weight, showed only slight variations between plots.