EFFICIENCY OF WATER USE OF THE CULTURE OF THE DURUM WHEAT IN IRRIGATED AND RAINFED CONDITIONS IN TUNISIA

Abstract

In for most Mediterranean and North African countries, given the scarcity of water resources allocated for irrigation and the need to increase agricultural production due to a still growing population, it is important to focus on water use efficiency of strategic crops. This work is a literature review aiming to study water use efficiency of durum wheat grown in semi-arid conditions in Tunisia in relation with the applied water regime. In rainfed conditions, water use efficiency for durum wheat in Tunisia was compared to the mean values indicated by studies conducted under similar climatic conditions. In irrigated conditions, water use efficiency, studied with reference to results of experiments on durum wheat carried out under semi arid conditions, was analyzed in relation to crop water consumption and to water supply (irrigation). The study highlights the effects of water stress on the productivity of durum wheat crop as well as possible margins of progress in terms of efficiency of water use in rainfed and irrigated conditions.