The Comparative Study of Yield and Yield Component Traits of Four Cereal Crops under Rainfed Conditions Affected by Different Seed Rates

Abstract

The present investigation was conducted during the winter season of 2011– 2012, at two different locations Qlyasan Agricultural Research Station and Research field at Penjwen, to comparison yield and yield component traits of four cereal crops under different seed rates with their interactions. The four cereal crops were durum wheat, barley, triticale, and rye, while the four different seed rates were 120, 160, 200 and 240 kg ha-1, using split plot design in which main plots in RCBD within four replicates. The four cereal crops were implemented in the main plots while the different seed rates were implemented in the sub-plots. Statistical analysis showed the presence of highly significant differences among the four cereal crops for all studied traits at both locations and their average except carbohydrate content. The results showed that triticale exceeded other crops in grain yield, biological yield and harvest index at both locations and their average. Wheat crop produced maximum values of average spike weight, grain weight spike-1, number of grains spikelet-1 and 1000 grain weight at both locations and their average. The lowest values of grain yield and biological yield were recorded under lowest seed rate 120 kg ha-1 at both locations and their average. It was noticed that increasing seed rates caused increases in grain yield and biological yield step by step. The seed rate 160 kg ha-1recorded maximum values for the traits spike length, spike weight plant-1, grain weight plant-1 and the number of grains spike-1, while the seed rate 200 kg ha-1produced the highest values for both traits grain weight spike-1 and 1000 grain weight.Statistical results showed that the effect of interaction between cereal crops and seed rates were not significant on yield traits and chemical components at both locations and their average except grain yield and carbohydrate content of Qlyasan location. Due to yield component and related traits, the results showed that the effect of interactions was significant or highly significant on some of the traits. Qlyasan location predominated Penjwen location in all of the traits except harvest index.