Supplemental Irrigation in Cultivation of Rainfed Wheat

Supplemental irrigation is effective in reducing the risk and increasing the stability and sustainability of rainfed crop production. In fact, supplemental irrigation is a temporary intervention and is designed to increase the natural transpiration of the plant when water is provided. On the other hand, it is inappropriate when rainfall is sufficient for crop growth. Under supplementary irrigation conditions, once or twice irrigation at sensitive stages of growth can prevent the drought stress in a significant area of rainfed land. In this paper, the conditions of supplementary irrigation of rainfed wheat in autumn and spring, suitable cultivars for supplementary irrigation, as well as applied extension recommendations in cold and temperate climates including North Khorasan, Zanjan, Kurdistan, Kermanshah, Lorestan, Fars, and East Azerbaijan provinces are presented.