Effect of Using Stabilizing Agents on Increasing Yield and Water Use Efficiency in Barley Grown under Water Stress

Abstract: Two field experiments were conducted during the two successive seasons of 2004/05 and 2005/06 at the Agricultural Experimental Station of National Research Centre, Shalakan, Kalubia Governorate, Egypt to predict the effect of two yield stabilizing agents (magnesium carbonate and sodium salicylate) on barley yield and water use efficiency under skipping the last irrigation. Four hulled barley cultivars were used i.e. Giza 123, Giza 125, Giza 126, and Giza 2000, in addition to, two hull-less barley cultivars i.e. Giza 129 and Giza 130. Magnesium carbonate or sodium salicylate was sprayed twice during vegetative growth and the last irrigation was skipped. At heading, number of tillers/plant, number of spikes/plant and plant height were measured. Furthermore, at harvest, grain yield, straw yield and biological yield were determined. Data for mean temperature and relative humidity were collected from planting date to heading date and averaged over the two growing seasons. Simple correlation analysis and multiple linear regression analysis were done. Results indicated that the highest reduction in yields as result of skipping the last irrigation was obtained for Giza 126. W hereas, the lowest reduction in grain, straw and biological yields were obtained for the two hull-less cultivars. The application of magnesium carbonate had better effect on the yield of barley cultivars than the application of sodium salicylate. The highest water use efficiency was obtained for Giza 123 under all irrigation treatments, especially under the application of magnesium carbonate. Results also showed that both temperature and relative humidity were highly and negatively correlated with barley yields. Number of tillers/plant and number of spikes/plant were positively correlated with barley grain, straw and biological yields, and plant height, was negatively correlated with grain yield. The developed prediction equations could be a useful decision-making tool to attain early yields prediction, which could be helpful in deciding whether to skip the last irrigation or not