Nanoparticles and microbial consortia seed treatment studies on wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grown under varying irrigation schedules
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Date
2019-06
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G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar - 263145 (Uttarakhand)
Abstract
The experiment was conducted during the rabi season of 2018-19 at N.E.B.C.R.C. of G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar to study the effect of nanoparticles and microbial consortia seed treatment on wheat crop under varying irrigation schedules. The soil of the experimental site was silty clay loam with neutral soil reaction (pH 7.2), medium organic carbon (0.72%), low available nitrogen (210.2 kg/ha), medium available phosphorus (24.1 kg/ha) and potassium (137.3 kg/ha). A good amount of rainfall (69 mm) was received during the entire course of investigation. The experiment was laid out in split plot design with three replications. Main plot contained three irrigation schedules viz. one irrigation (at CRI stage), two irrigations (at CRI and flowering stages) and three irrigations (at CRI, booting and grain filling stages) and sub plot contained five seed treatments viz. control, nano chitosan, nano chitosan + nano zinc oxide, nano chitosan + nano zinc oxide + MC I and nano chitosan + nano zinc oxide + MC II. Observations on morphological, physiological, rhizospheric and yield parameters were taken and nutrient uptake and use efficiency in wheat was worked out. The morphological parameters differed non significantly with irrigation schedules except LAI which was significantly influenced at heading stage. Green seeker value, RLWC and soil moisture content were at par under two and three irrigations. Chlorophyll content at heading stage and dehydrogenase activity were significantly higher with three irrigations at all stages except at booting stage. All the yield attributes varied non significantly with irrigation schedules except spikes per square meter which were highest with three irrigations, but on a par under one and two irrigations. N, P, K uptake and use efficiency varied non significantly with irrigation schedules. Seed treatment with nanoparticles and microbial consortia significantly increased all the morphological, physiological and rhizospheric parameters across all the stages except soil moisture content and plant height which varied significantly at maximum tillering stage only. N, P, K uptake and use efficiency was significantly higher with all seed treatments over control. Nanochitosan seed treatment resulted in significantly higher net returns and B: C ratio. From these experimental findings, it can be inferred that if sufficient rainfall is received during crop growing period, three irrigations and one irrigation produce statistically similar grain yield. Seed treatment with nanochitosan alone and in combination with microbial consortia was superior over other seed treatments. In general, irrigation schedules and seed treatments failed to interact significantly.
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