A study of yield, quality and subsoil water uptake of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cv. Kopara

Abstract

Several seasons trials at Lincoln College have helped provide a greater understanding of how the yield components of autumn sown wheat are determined (Dougherty et al. 1974, 1975, 1978, 1979, Scott et al. 1973, 1977). Notwithstanding the importance of yield, when wheat is destined for bread making in New Zealand a defined level of flour quality must be attained (Hullet, 1964). Previously this aspect had not been studied for wheat growing on moisture retentive soils. Similarly, monitoring plant water uptake from these soils had not been examined. The research reported in this thesis aims to establish more information specific to the points mentioned above.

Chapter 1 deals with changes in yield and yield components that occur when different treatments are imposed during the growing period.

Chapter 2 studies the effects caused by the different agronomic treatments on the various parameters of flour quality.

Chapter 3 monitors the pattern of subsoil water uptake.

These three chapters are not intimately dependent on each other so they have been written as separate and entire units to keep all relevant information together. Chapter 4 is the overall concluding discussion encompassing all work reported in this Thesis.