Journal of Food, Agriculture and Environment

Winter wheat leaf area index under low and moderate input management and climate change

Author(s):

Sigitas Lazauskas ¹, Virmantas Povilaitis ^1*, Šarūnas Antanaitis ¹, Jurga Sakalauskaitė ², Sandra Sakalauskienė ², Gabrielė Pšibišauskienė ¹, Ona Auškalnienė ¹, Steponas Raudonius ³, Pavelas Duchovskis ²

Recieved Date: 2011-09-04, Accepted Date: 2012-01-09

Abstract:

With global warming, winter wheat growth conditions and production potential is changing, thus adjustments in management are necessary to optimize input levels under new environments. The aim of this study was to estimate winter wheat leaf area index changes as affected by low and moderate input management and climate change. Field experiments were carried out during 2007-2009 at the Institute of Agriculture, Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry in Dotnuva, Kėdainiai, Lithuania. Winter wheat cultivar ‘Ada’ was grown under two input levels: moderate (conventional) where herbicides, fungicides, insecticides and industrial fertilizers (N₁₁₀P₉₀K₁₄₀) were applied, and low (organic), without industrial fertilizers and plant protection products. Winter wheat leaf area parameters were simulated with the computer model DSSAT v4.0.2.0. The weather data (daily maximum and minimum air temperature and precipitation) were obtained from Dotnuva and solar radiation from Kaunas weather stations. Winter wheat leaf area index (LAI) in field experiments, despite the contrasting weather conditions among years, followed a similar pattern; however, with marked differences between input levels. The relatively low nitrogen concentration in plant biomass at the beginning of intensive growth period indicates nitrogen nutrition to be a major limiting factor for LAI, leaf area duration (LAD) and grain yield. Simulation with the DSSAT model according to the scenarios where weather, on daily bases, is +2ºC warmer, but the amount and distribution of precipitation are same as during the experimental years, a shift of LAI maximum to earlier dates in spring can be expected; however, without considerable changes in leaf area index (LAI) maximum and leaf area duration (LAD). It is likely that LAI maximum values both under low and moderate input will be limited by nitrogen supply and will be on the level of 3 and 5 m² m^-2, respectively.

Keywords:

Winter wheat, leaf area, climate change, model DSSAT

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Journal: Journal of Food, Agriculture and Environment
Year: 2012
Volume: 10
Issue: 1
Category: Agriculture
Pages: 588-593

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