Register      Login
Animal Production Science Animal Production Science Society
Food, fibre and pharmaceuticals from animals
Shopping Cart: ( empty )
You are here: Home > Journals > AN > EA04050
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 45(4)

Temperature and water availability effects on radiation and water use efficiencies in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.)

D. J. Collino A C , J. L. Dardanelli B , M. J. De Luca A and R. W. Racca A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Instituto de Fitopatología y Fisiología Vegetal (IFFIVE)-INTA, Camino 60 Cuadras Km 5.5, X5020ICA, Córdoba, Argentina.

B Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Manfredi-INTA, Ruta 9 km 636 (5988) Manfredi, Córdoba, Argentina.

C Corresponding author. Email: dcollino@correo.inta.gov.ar

Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 45(4) 383-390 https://doi.org/10.1071/EA04050
Submitted: 18 March 2004  Accepted: 15 July 2004   Published: 23 May 2005

Abstract

Alfalfa, the most important forage crop in Argentina, shows considerable variability in forage production caused by variations in inter-annual rainfall and intra-annual radiation and temperature regimes. Such variation may affect radiation use efficiency and water use efficiency. This paper seeks to study the effects of temperature and water availability on radiation use efficiency and water use efficiency. We conducted the experiment in Córdoba, Argentina, under irrigated and droughted conditions. Drought was imposed by mobile rainout shelters during 3 consecutive periods. We measured forage, intercepted photosynthetically active radiation and water use to calculate radiation use efficiency and water use efficiency between cuttings. Under irrigation, radiation use efficiency and water use efficiency normalised by daytime vapour pressure deficit, were not limited by mean temperature above 21.3 and 21.9°C, respectively. Below those critical values, both variables decreased consistently with temperature decrements. Under drought, radiation use efficiency tended to decrease and water use efficiency tended to increase. In addition, the relationship between relative dry matter and relative water use was not linear, as reported in previous studies for annual crops.

Additional keywords: efficiency, drought, air temperature.


References


Abbate PE, Dardanelli JL, Cantarero MG, Maturano M, Melchiori RJ, Suero EE (2004) Climatic and water availability effects on water-use efficiency in wheat. Crop Science 44, 474–483. (verified May 2005).

InfoStat (2002) ‘InfoStat software versión 2.0.’ (Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba: Cordoba, Argentina)

López A, Dardanelli JL, Collino DJ, Sereno R, Racca RW (1997) Efecto del grado de reposo invernal sobre la producción, consumo y eficiencia en el uso del agua en alfalfa cultivada bajo riego. Revista de Investigaciones Agropecuarias 28, 41–48. open url image1

Monteith JL (1972) Solar radiation and productivity in tropical ecosystems. Journal of Applied Ecology 9, 747–766. open url image1

Patterson DT (1993) Effects of day and night temperature on goatsrue (Galega officinalis) and alfalfa (Medicago sativa) growth. Weed Science 41, 38–45. open url image1

Racca R , Collino D , Dardanelli J , Basigalup D , González N , Brenzoni E , Hein N , Balzarini M (2001) ‘Contribución de la fijación biológica de nitrógeno a la nutrición nitrogenada de la alfalfa en la región pampeana.’ (Ediciones INTA: Buenos Aires)

Rossanigo R (1996) Red de evaluación de cultivares de alfalfa. Revista Agromercado, Argentina

Rossanigo RO , Spada M del C , Bruno OA (1995) Evaluación de cultivares de alfalfa y panorama varietal en la Argentina. In ‘La alfalfa en la Argentina. Enciclopedia Agro de Cuyo: Manuales, No. 11’. (Eds EH Hijano, A Navarro) pp. 63–78. (INTA: San Juan, Argentina)

Saeed IAM, El-Nadi AH (1997) Irrigation effects on the growth, yield, and water use efficiency of alfalfa. Irrigation Science 17, 63–68.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Sinclair TR, Tanner CB, Bennett JM (1984) Water-use efficiency in crop production. Bioscience 34, 36–40. open url image1

Smeal D, Gregory EJ, Arnold RN (1992) Interseasonal variability in water use-production function of alfalfa. Journal of Production Agriculture 5, 576–580. open url image1

Tanner CB , Sinclair TR (1983) Efficient water use in crop production: research or re-research? In ‘Limitations to efficient water use in crop production’. (Eds HM Taylor, WR Jordan, TR Sinclair) pp. 1–27. (ASSA, CSSA and SSSA: Madison, WI)

Wright JL (1988) Daily and seasonal evapotranspiration and yield of irrigated alfalfa in southern Idaho. Agronomy Journal 80, 662–669. open url image1