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Chinese Journal of Applied Ecology ›› 2021, Vol. 32 ›› Issue (11): 3977-3987.doi: 10.13287/j.1001-9332.202111.030

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Effects of sowing modes on soil water dynamics and grain protein formation in dryland wheat

ZHAO Qing-ling, SUN Min, LIN Wen, REN Ai-xia, WANG Zhi-xin, ZHANG Rong-rong, LI Lei, GAO Zhi-qiang*   

  1. College of Agriculture, Shanxi Agricultural University, Jinzhong 030801, Shanxi, China
  • Online:2021-11-15 Published:2022-05-15
  • Supported by:
    This work was supported by the Modern Agriculture Industry Technology System Construction (CARS-03-01-24), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31771727), the Sanjin Scholar Support Special Project, Project of Shanxi Province Key Laboratory of Crop Ecology and Dry Cultivation Physiology (201705D111007), the Agricultural Valley Construction Scientific Research Project of Shanxi Province (SXNGJSKYZX201703), the Key Innovation Team Project of Wheat Dry Cultivation in Shanxi Province (201605D131041), and the Shanxi Provincial Graduate Education Innovation Project (2019SY206).

Abstract: In order to clarify the mechanisms underlying dryland wheat quality improvement through sowing technology, the effects of wide space sowing (WSS), furrow sowing (FS), and drill sowing (DS) on soil moisture dynamics and grain protein formation in dryland wheat field were studied in Wenxi, Shanxi Province in 2017-2018 (normal year) and 2018-2019 (dry year). The results showed that compared with the DS, FS significantly increased soil water storage in the 0-200 cm depth at anthesis stage (8.2%-18.7%), and increased the soil water storage in 0-60 cm layer during the two years, 60-120 cm layer in normal year, and 120-200 cm layer in dry year. WSS significantly increased soil water storage in 0-200 cm layer at anthesis stage in normal year (5.2%). Compared with DS, FS significantly increased water consumption of anthesis to mature stage, while WSS significantly increased water consumption from sowing to anthesis stage in dry year. Compared with DS, the glutamine synthetase (GS) activity of grains at 15-35 days after anthesis was significantly increased by FS and WSS, while the glutamate synthase (GOGAT) activity of flag leaves and grains at 5-35 days after anthesis was significantly increased by FS in the dry year. Compared with DS, FS significantly increased grain yield by 20.4%-44.8%, grain protein yield by 25%-49%, and increased grain albumin and globulin contents. WSS significantly increased grain yield by 9%-40%, and increased grain gliadin content. Under different sowing modes of dryland wheat, GS and GOGAT activities in flag leaves and grains after anthesis were significantly correlated with water consumption at anthesis to maturity stage. There were significant correlations between GS and GOGAT activities in flag leaves and grains and 0-120 cm soil layers in the normal water year, and between GS and GOGAT activities and 0-60 cm, 120-200 cm soil layers in the dry year. The contents of grain albumin, globulin and total protein were significantly correlated with soil water storage in 0-60 cm layer at anthesis stage, as well as soil water storage in 120-200 cm layer at anthesis stage in the dry year. In conclusion, FS was beneficial to increasing soil water storage at anthesis and water consumption after anthesis of dryland wheat, improving GS and GOGAT activities of flag leaf and grain, with positive consequences on yield and grain protein content. In addition, deep water storage was more conducive to quality improvement in the late growth period in the dry year.

Key words: dryland wheat, furrow sowing, soil water consumption, nitrogen metabolism enzyme activity, grain protein.