Grain yields in wheat per unit area, and per unit of silicon — as a measure of water transpired. I. Initial results from South Australia

Abstract

In an attempt to provide a common basis for comparing wheat yields at different sites and the response to selected nutrients (specifically nitrogen and phosphorus), silicon in the glumes from wheat heads has been used as a measure of water transpired. Silicon yields in the glumes of wheat plants are clearly related to the amount of water transpired by crops in the field and the ratio yield/silicon is a sensitive measure of treatment effects that does not vary from year to year, despite marked difference in seasonal rainfall. Optimal values for yield/silicon (i.e. yield per unit of water transpired) could be used to define specific regions, or sites, where recorded grain yields are far below what might be expected from a wheat crop under prevailing climatic conditions.