Wheat and barley cultivars' responses to early-season soil water deficit during germination and establishment in Western Australia (2012-2015)
Document Type
Collection
Publication Title
Wheat and barley cultivars' responses to early-season soil water deficit during germination and establishment in Western Australia (2012-2015)
Abstract
The dataset includes measurements of crop emergence and establishment rate under varied seedbed moisture conditions, plant survival rate, biomass accumulation, phenological stages (leaf and tiller number during the growth stage, dates of emergence, heading, anthesis and physiological maturity), and grain yield data (grain yield, seeds per head, harvest index), as well as soil water content at multiple depths (5, 10, 20, 30 cm), plant available water estimates, and associated rainfall and irrigation records.
Publication Date
4-10-2026
Keywords
wheat, plant establishment, soil water
Disciplines
Agriculture
Recommended Citation
French, R.
(2026), Wheat and barley cultivars' responses to early-season soil water deficit during germination and establishment in Western Australia (2012-2015). Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Western Australia, Perth. Collection.
https://library.dpird.wa.gov.au/ba_grdc_ds/8
Funder
GRDC
Grant
DAW00219
ROR of Contributing Organisation
https://ror.org/01awp2978
GRDC Project Code
DAW00219
GRDC Project Title
Characterising and exploiting genetic diversity in wheat and barley for tolerance to water deficit during germination and crop establishment
ORCID of each Author
0009-0006-1715-8885
Spatial Coverage
Merredin, Western Australia
Observations Start Date
2012
Observations End Date
2015
Comments
Field trials were conducted at Merredin, Western Australia, between 2012 and 2015 to assess the responses of wheat and barley genotypes, including Australian commercial cultivars and experimental breeding lines, to early-season soil water stress. The experiments were undertaken at the Merredin Managed Environment Facility (31.48° S, 118.22° E) and were designed to evaluate crop germination, establishment, and early growth under contrasting water-stress conditions. Three distinct stress scenarios were examined: water deficit during germination and emergence, a prolonged dry period following crop establishment, and a less severe post-establishment water deficit during early vegetative development. Field measurements were complemented by APSIM crop model simulations (version 7.4) using historical climate data from 1957 to 2014 to quantify sowing opportunities, emergence timing, soil water dynamics, and the likelihood and duration of early-season water stress. The dataset includes measurements of crop emergence and establishment rates, plant survival, biomass accumulation, leaf and tiller numbers, phenological stages (emergence, heading, anthesis, and physiological maturity), grain yield and yield components (seeds per head and harvest index), as well as soil water content at multiple depths (5, 10, 20, and 30 cm), plant available water estimates, and associated rainfall and irrigation records.