Effect of population density and variety on irrigated wheat yield and components when grown on beds in Northwest Mexico

Wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) population density (PD) could be used to improve the wheat production technology in Northwestern Mexico. Tillering capacity is a characteristic of the variety. Theoretically, the recommended PD should not be modified by the variety. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of the variety (V) and PD on wheat yield and other components. A field study was carried out at the Yaqui Valley Agricultural Experimental Station, in Sonora, Mexico. It consisted of a complete factorial of five wheat varieties: Aconchi C89, Tepoca T89, Oasis F86, Altar C85, and Rayon F89, and seven PD treatments: 20, 40, 80, 160, 240, 320 and 800 thousand plants per hectare (TPPH)) in a split plot design with varieties as main plots and the PD as subplots in a complete randomized block design with five replications. For all the evaluated variables, the response to PD was different according to the variety, mainly in treatments with low PD, and as this was increased, the response turned asym...