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Enhancing Drought Resistance of Plants Using Wheat as a Test Crop

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Restoration and Development of the Degraded Loess Plateau, China

Part of the book series: Ecological Research Monographs ((ECOLOGICAL))

Abstract

Achieving greater crop yield per unit of rainfall is one of the most important challenges for wheat production in dryland environments. Efficient use of limited water resources may be one means of achieving this goal. This chapter reviews the physiological adaptation to water deficit under variable environmental conditions in wheat. In addition, it reveals the compensatory effect of limited irrigation and fertilizer supplementation on wheat water-use efficiency (WUE) and highlights the breeding of new varieties for high WUE that could improve wheat productivity under water-limited environments. Considerable potential for further improvement in wheat productivity in semiarid areas seems to depend on effective conservation of moisture and efficient use of limited water. Different crops, soil and water management strategies should be adjusted according to the conditions that prevail in the various semiarid areas. Wheat productivity can be significantly improved by integrating the soil and water conservation approach and the regulated cropping system with cultivating drought-tolerance and water-saving cultivars.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the 111 Project of Chinese Education Ministry (No. B12007), the Major State Basic Research Development Program of People’s Republic of China (2009CB118604) and International Science & Technology Cooperation Program of China (2010DFA91930).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Lab of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 26 Xinong Road, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China

    Xi-Ping Deng

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  1. Xi-Ping Deng
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Correspondence to Xi-Ping Deng .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Arid Land Research Center, Tottori University, Tottori, Japan

    Atsushi Tsunekawa

  2. Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ministry of Water Resources, Yangling, Shaanxi, China, People's Republic

    Guobin Liu

  3. Arid Land Research Center, Tottori University, Tottori, Japan

    Norikazu Yamanaka

  4. Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ministry of Water Resources, Yangling, Shaanxi, China, People's Republic

    Sheng Du

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Deng, XP. (2014). Enhancing Drought Resistance of Plants Using Wheat as a Test Crop. In: Tsunekawa, A., Liu, G., Yamanaka, N., Du, S. (eds) Restoration and Development of the Degraded Loess Plateau, China. Ecological Research Monographs. Springer, Tokyo. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-4-431-54481-4_16

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