The response of physiologic and qualitative traits of triticale to sugarcane residue compost in drought stress condition

Drought stress, reduces physiologic and qualitative traits of triticale. Also, using compost fertilizer has beneficial effects on physical, chemical and biological conditions of the soil and reducing the negative effect of environmental stresses like drought stress on physiologic and qualitative traits of crop plants. This study designed and carried out with aim to study the effect of sugarcane residue compost fertilizer on physiologic and qualitative traits of triticale under drought stress conditions in Ahwaz weather conditions in Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University of Khuzestan.

In order to investigate the effect of sugarcane residue compost fertilizer on physiologic and qualitative traits of triticale under drought stress conditions, a field experiment using a split-plot arrangement accomplished in a randomized complete block design with four replicates in the research farm of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University of Khuzestan during 2018-2019 growing season. Experimental factors include four levels of drought stress (complete irrigation, drought stress from spike emergence stage, drought stress from pollination stage and drought stress from milky-dough stage) in main plots and five amounts of sugarcane residues compost fertilizer (0, 10, 20, 30 and 40 t ha-1) in sub-plots.

Analysis of variance showed that the effect of drought stress, sugarcane residue compost fertilizer and their interaction on the most of measured traits (SPAD, chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, carotenoids, relative water content, cell membrane stability, canopy temperature, redistribution, grain protein, grain Fe and grain Zn) were significant. Mean comparison of above measured traits in interaction effects of drought stress and sugarcane residue compost fertilizer showed that drought stress decreased these traits and the maximum amount of these traits was obtained in full irrigation and the lowest amount was observed in drought stress from spike emergence to complete maturity. Also, in different drought stress levels, with increasing the amount of sugarcane residue compost fertilizer, the amount of traits increased and reached a maximum at the level of 40 t ha-1. Therefore, the maximum amount of these traits was under full irrigation and 40 t.ha-1 of sugarcane residue compost and the lowest amount of them was obtained in drought stress from spike emergence and non-use of sugarcane residue compost.

Generally, drought stress from irrigation cut off decreased physiologic and qualitative traits of triticale. Also, in different drought stress levels with increasing the amount of sugarcane residue compost fertilizer, the amount of above traits increased. Therfore using sugarcane residues compost fertilizer decreased the negative impact of drought stress from spike emergence conditions on physiologic and qualitative traits of triticale between 6 to 46 percent.