Principal Components Analysis for Water Use Efficiency of Common Bean, Sesame and Maize in Response of Application of Water Super Absorbent Hydrogel

In order to evaluate effect of deficit irrigation and application of water superabsorbent and determining principal components in water use efficiency of common bean, sesame and maize a split plots experiment based on RCBD design with three replications was conducted during 2015-2016 growing season, in Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran. Irrigation levels (50 and 100% of water requirement) and application and non-application of water superabsorbent assigned to main and sub plots, respectively. Principal components analysis for three plant species resulted in two principle components with the most considerable variances. The first component explained 73, 60 and 80% of variables variance in bean, sesame and corn, respectively. In bean, variables of seed yield, biological yield, seed weight, plant height, crop growth rate and soil nitrogen, phosphorous content and pH were assigned to the first component and leaf area index, EC and water use efficiency were assigned to the second component. In sesame, variables of seed yield, biological yield, seed weight, plant height, crop growth rate and soil phosphorous and pH had the highest load on the first component and variables of leaf area index, soil nitrogen content, EC and water use efficiency had the highest load on the second component. In corn, variables of seed yield, biological yield, seed weight, plant height, leaf area index, crop growth rate and soil nitrogen and pH were in the first component and variables of soil phosphorous and EC and water use efficiency in the second component had the highest load.