Variation in Early Growth, Canopy Temperature, Translocation and Yield of Durum Wheat (triticum turgidum l. Var. Durum) Under Semi Arid Conditions

AbstractThe investigation was carried on the experimental site of the Field Crop Institute Agricultural Farm located near the town of Sétif (Algeria). The objective was to investigate the differences in developmental rate, heat status and yield between four durum wheat (Triticum turgidum L. var.durum) genotypes. The experiment was laid down in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Data were collected on canopy temperature, relative growth rate, green flag leaf area duration, assimilates translocation and grain yield. The results indicated that Waha and Boussalam, due to their fast early growth rate, accumulated significantly more above ground biomass at the juvenile, reproductive and grain filling growth phases. They achieved high dry weight of spikes m-2 at heading and at physiological maturity. Grain yield varied from 194.8 g/m2 in MBB to 286.7 g/m2 in Waha. The genotypes diverged also for the amount of assimilates transferred to the grain which varied from26.6 to 39.5% of the final grain yield. Theses results indicated that selection of faster early growing, short cycle genotypes, bearing smaller leaves should be favoured for the high plateaus of eastern Algeria