A study of water and mineral nitrogen efficiency in wheat: GàG systems the semi-arid regions Tunisia

In Tunisia, cereal farming is the most important agricultural sector, both in terms of the number of farmers and its role as a driving force in the national economy. However, the central-western regions of Tunisia suffer from irregular rainfall; this irregularity, combined with low rainfall levels, can lead to significant falls in yields - and consequently in production - in certain years when rainfall is below average. The problem of drought, falling groundwater levels, low water pressure and the need to mitigate water shortages have prompted vegetable farmers to adopt 'water-efficient' irrigation techniques such as drip irrigation. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of row spacing on the efficiency of water and nitrogen fertiliser use, and on the yield of durum wheat (Khiar variety) grown under localised irrigation in the semi-arid regions of Tunisia.