Evaluation of the Effects of Different Rates and Sources of Organic Materials on Water Use Efficiency in Wheat Cultivation under Saline Conditions

Articles in Press

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Soil and Water Research Department, Isfahan Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center. Agricultural Research, Education and Extension organization (AREEO), Isfahan, Iran.

2 Soil and Water Research Department, Isfahan Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Isfahan, Iran

Abstract

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of different sources and levels of organic matter on water use efficiency in wheat cultivation under saline conditions . The experiment was carried out using a split-plot arrangement based on a randomized complete block design with three replications. The main factor consisted of organic matter (well‑decomposed farmyard manure and municipal waste compost), and the sub‑factor was the level of organic matter (0, 10, and 20 tons per hectare). The salinity of irrigation water was maintained at 8 dS m⁻¹ throughout the experiment. Soil analysis results indicated that the type of organic matter had a significant effect only on the final water infiltration rate, with farmyard manure showing a superior impact on this soil physical property compared with compost. In contrast, different levels of organic matter had highly significant effects (P < 0.001) on all agronomic traits, including thousand‑grain weight, grain and straw yield, and water use efficiency (WUE). On average, the application of organic matter increased grain yield by 23% and straw yield by 30% compared with the control treatment under saline conditions. Moreover, the application of both compost and farmyard manure at both rates significantly improved water use efficiency in wheat. Water use efficiency increased from 0.44 kg m−3in the control treatment to 0.54 and 0.57 kg m−3under the 10 and 20 t ha−1 treatments, respectively. Overall, the application of organic amendments at both studied rates increased water use efficiency in wheat by an average of 25% compared with the control.

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Iranian Journal of Soil and Water Research

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 29 June 2026

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