Effect of soil water potential on growth and yield of sunflower (Helianthus annuus)

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Abstract
Summary The effect of soil water potential of the root media on the vegetative growth, seed and oil yield of sunflower (var. Record) grown in containers under field conditions was investigated. The weight of shoots and the total leaf area of plants before flowering significantly decreased with decrease in the water potential of the root media. There was a sharp reduction of shoot weight as the potential decreased from —0–32 to — 1–25 bars and then a further slow decline as soil water potential dropped to — 8'6 bars. There were no significant differences in the 100-seed weights and percentage. of oil among the treatments, but the total number of seeds was significantly different. The data did not indicate the existence of a threshold water potential above which yield was independent of soil water potential, but rather that yield was a continuously decreasing function of soil water potential.

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