Effects Of Environment x Genotype x Management In Durum Wheat Production In The Mediterranean Basin

Durum wheat (Triticum turgidum L.subsp. durum) is the most common crop in the Mediterranean basin, which is the largest durum producing area worldwide. A correct management practice is fundamental to ensure a healthy wheat development and high wheat production. Among the different factors which influence the durum wheat production, the sowing time and the choice of the cultivar are the most important (Bassu et al., 2009). In the Mediterranean basin, it is general practice to sow from November to December, the period of the onset of Autumn precipitations when the risk frost around anthesis is low. Shifting in the sowing window influences the grain yield in different ways, for instance the number of seed per unit area and the kernel weight are affected by the changing of sowing window (Tapley et al., 2013). The optimum sowing window is not a fix time, but rather than it seems to vary in relation with cultivar, location and other factors (Tapley et al.,2013). The complexity to reproduce Genotype x Environment x Management (GxExM) can be overcome using crop simulation models. The aim of this study included i) to evaluate the performance of SiriusQuality2 (SQ2) model, ii) to apply the model to investigate the effects of GxExM on four durum wheat cultivars yield in the selected locations.