Effects of irrigation stage and amount on winter wheat fructan accumulation and translocation after anthesis and water use efficiency.

Field experiments were conducted in Tai' an and Yanzhou of Shandong Province in 2004-2005 and 2005-2006 to study the effects of irrigation stage and amount on the accumulation and translocation of fructan in winter wheat penult stem and sheath after anthesis and the water use efficiency. No irrigation in whole growth period promoted the translocation of fructan from penult stem and sheath to grain at late grain-filling stage. Irrigation with 60 mm water at jointing and anthesis stages increased the flag leaf photosynthetic rate and photo-assimilate accumulation after anthesis, and the contribution of the photo-assimilates to the grain. Irrigation with 60 mm water at jointing, anthesis, and grain-filling stages, and with 90 mm water at jointing and anthesis stages decreased the flag leaf photosynthetic rate at late grain-filling stage, increased the photo-assimilate accumulation before anthesis and the contribution of the photo-assimilates to the grain, and reduced the translocation of the photo-assimilates after anthesis to the grain. Excessive irrigation also increased the contents of fructan with the degree of polymerization (DP) > or ≥ 4 and = 3 in penult stem and sheath at late grain-filling stage, limiting the translocation of fructan from penult stem and sheath to grain. Irrigation with 60 mm water at jointing and anthesis stages led to a higher grain yield and the highest water use efficiency, while irrigation with 60 mm water at jointing, anthesis, and grain-filling stages, and with 90 mm water at jointing and anthesis stages had little effects on the grain yield but decreased the water use efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]