Biotech Studies 2011, Vol 20, Num, 1

Water Use Features of Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) Hybrids Irrigated at Different Growth Stages

Mehmet Demir KAYA 1 ,Özer KOLSARICI 2

1 Central Research Institute For Field Crops, Şehit Cem Ersever Cad. No: 9 06170 Yenimahalle-ANKARA
2 Department of Field Crops, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ankara, 06110 Dışkapı-ANKARA
- The response of some sunflower hybrids to seven irrigation treatments was studied in the field experiments during 2002 and 2003 seasons. Sunflower hybrids of Sanbro, Tarsan-1018 and Özdemirbey were used as material. A rainfed (non-irrigated) treatment as the control (I0) and I1= irrigation at vegetative growth stage, I2= irrigation at heading stage, I3= irrigation at flowering stage, I4= I1 + I3 two irrigations, I5= I1 + I2 + I3, three irrigations, and I6= I1 + I2 + I3 + irrigation at milking stage were applied. Research revealed that irrigations at all growing stages (I6) increased average seed yield of all sunflower hybrids as 43% and 77% in 2002 and 2003, respectively. Increased water amount and irrigation frequency caused a decreasing in irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE) and an increase in irrigation efficiency (IE). Higher IWUE and lower IE were obtained from non-irrigated or one irrigation treatments. The highest IWUE (35.6 kg ha−1 mm−1) was obtained from Tarsan-1018 irrigated at vegetative stage (I1). Özdemirbey irrigated with I6 gave the highest irrigation efficiency (IE) with 186%. Keywords : Sunflower, irrigation, yield, irrigation efficiency, IWUE