Effects of fertilizer, variety and location on barley production under rainfed conditions in Northern Syria 2. Soil water dynamics and crop water use

Abstract

The effects of fertilizer and location on the water use of two contrasting varieties of barley were studied in Northern Syria using a neutron probe. The observed patterns of soil moisture dynamics and crop water use were typical of those previously observed in Mediterranean-type environments. Moisture supply, as reflected by rainfall, was the principal factor affecting total water use, but both the application of fertilizer (N and P) and varietal differences also resulted in increased water use, particularly at the wetter location. There were no differences in the water-use efficiency between the two varieties, but the application of fertilizer resulted in large increases of water-use efficiency at both locations. Separation of crop evapotranspiration into crop transpiration and soil evaporation indicated that increased water-use efficiency was partially due to increased transpiration efficiency but was largely due to a reduction in soil evaporative loss, through greater soil shading by the crop canopy, and increased crop transpiration. Examination of this dataset together with the patterns of root and shoot growth suggest that fertilizer and varietal effects on root growth are linked to patterns of water use, growth and yield formation in barley.