Performance of some Bread Wheat Genotypes under Organic and Conventional Production Systems

WOS: 000306460800016Organic agriculture is accepted as an effective alternative solution to overcome harmful effects of excessive chemical use in conventional agriculture. Many of the crop cultivars record a reduction in yield when shifted from conventional to organic systems. Wheat is the second field crop gaining area under organic farming only after cotton in Turkey. There is dire need to look for wheat varieties that are better adapted to organic systems with little yield reduction. In this study, twelve bread wheat genotypes, which are adapted to Aegean Basin of Turkey, were grown to compare their yield and agronomic performances under organic and conventional production systems. The study was carried out during 2008-2009 and 2009-2010 growing seasons. Highest grain yield for conventional system was recorded for Sagittario (3819 kg ha(-1)), Basribey-95 (3619 kg ha(-1)) and Ekm4 (3505 kg ha(-1)). Grain yield was reduced by almost 46% in organic farming as compared with conventional system. Sagittario, Esperia, Ekm6 and Ekm5 recorded relatively higher grain yield in organic system. Kernel number per spike, plant height, thousand kernel weight and total dry weight decreased in organic system. Our findings suggested that wheat yield reduction in organic system was primarily due to reduced kernel number per spike and thousand grain weight. Sagittario and Esperia, lines Ekm6 and Ekm5 were promising bread wheat genotypes for organic production systems. (c) 2012 Friends Science Publisher