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Field experiments conducted in 2007/08 and 2008/09 at the Changwu Agricultural Research Station on the Loess Plateau of China comprised three seeding rates (SR1: 225 seeds m(-2), SR2: 280 seeds m(-2), and SR3: 340 seeds m(-2)) and two root pruning treatments (W: root pruning in the over-wintering period and S: root pruning at the spring-growth stage), with the un-pruned wheat plants as controls. In the severe drought toward the end of the growing season of 2008, grain yield decreased as the seeding rate increased, but under the more favorable conditions in 2009 the reverse was true. Averaged over the seeding rates, grain yield was significantly increased in both W and S in both years; grain yield and yield components were higher in W; and S recorded the highest water use efficiency. The interaction between seeding rate and root pruning was not statistically significant. Leaf area index (LAI) and tiller density were higher as seeding rates increased whereas in W and S. increased LAI and decreased tillers significantly, but had no effect on fertile tillers. The rate of leaf photosynthesis was lower and root respiration was significantly higher at higher seeding rates, whereas in root pruning treatments, significantly higher leaf photosynthetic rate and lower root respiration were observed. Soil water contents were lower as seeding rate increased. A significant decrease in water use before stem elongation was observed in W, while S consumed less soil water than W and the control over the whole growing season. Post-heading accumulation of dry matter and its remobilization from vegetative parts to the grain was significantly greater at higher seeding rates. Post-heading accumulations of dry matter and grain yield were also significantly greater in W and S than the un-pruned plants, although pruning reduced both dry matter remobilization and its contribution to grain yield. The possibility of reducing the proliferation of roots to increase yields at higher seeding rates and conserving the soil water at different growing stages in water-limited environments is discussed. 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.