Agriculture & Food, Volume 3, 2015

Abstract: To investigate the effect of water stress and foliar application of zinc and its interaction on water use efficiency, split factorial design study was conducted in Isfahan 2012/2013. Water stress treatments in this experiment were established at three water stress levels (no water stress, water stress at grain filling stage, and water stress at flowering stage) in the main plots. Plants were exposed to three zinc levels (0, 2.5, and 5 mg l-1 as ZnSO4.7H2O) and wheat genotypes including Mahdavi, Shiraz and Pishtaz were leading in the sub plots. The results showed that the difference between water stress treatments on grain yield, biological yield and weight thousand seeds were significant. The increasing zinc sulphate up to 2.5 mg l-1 in the water stress at grain filling stage increased grain yield up to 12 percent. Grain yield response to foliar application of Zn in Pishtaz genotype was higher than Shiraz and Mahdavi genotypes. Grain yield in water stress treatment at flowering stage decreased 13 percent compared to no water stress treatment, whereas less than two rounds irrigation done and water use efficiency significantly increased.