
%0 Journal Article
%A French, RJ 
%A Schultz, JE 
%T Water use efficiency of wheat in a Mediterranean-type environment. I. The relation between yield, water use and climate
%J Australian Journal of Agricultural Research
%D 1984/12/01
%V 35
%N 6
%P 743-764
%K 
%R https://doi.org/10.1071/AR9840743
%U https://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/AR9840743 
%X The relations between wheat yield and water use were determined from field measurements in South Australia. Highest production of dry matter was 37 kg ha-1 per mm of water use and of grain was 12.7 kg ha-1 per mm. More than 70% of the total water use occurred by anthesis. Time of sowing and soil water content at sowing had a big influence on yield. The loss of water by direct evaporation was estimated to be 110 mm, equal to about one-third of the water use. The maximum efficiency of water transpired was 55 kg ha-1 mm-1 for dry matter and 20 kg ha-1 mm-1 for grain. The efficiencies of most of the crops were below this level. Yield (Y), water use (W) and evaporation (Ep) could be fitted to the de Wit formula Y = m W/Ep, but the m factor varied with the proportion of water use that was lost by direct evaporation. 
