Effect of different establishment and moisture conservation practices on wheat under limited irrigated conditions
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Date
2022-12
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Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University hisar
Abstract
A field experiment entitled “Effect of different establishment and moisture conservation
practices on wheat under limited irrigated conditions” was carried out at research farm of Wheat and
Barley Section, Department of Genetics & Plant Breeding, Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana
Agricultural University, Hisar, Haryana during the rabi seasons of 2019-20 and 2020-21. The experiment
consisted of twenty four treatment combinations comprising, three establishment methods i.e.,
conventional tillage (CT), zero tillage (ZT) and bed planting (BP) and two irrigation levels i.e., I1-one
irrigation applied at CRI stage (I1) and I2-two irrigations applied at CRI and booting stages as main plot
treatments and four moisture conservation practices i.e., M0-no mulch, M1-mulch (pearl millet straw @ 4
tonnes ha-1), M2- antitranspirant (kaolin @ 6 % w/v) and M3- mulch (pearl millet straw @ 4 tonnes ha-1) +
antitranspirant (kaolin @ 6 % w/v) as sub-plots treatment, were tested in split-split plot design with three
replications. The maximum plant height was recorded under BP at 60, 90, 120 DAS and at harvest, which
was significantly higher than CT and ZT during both the years. Whereas, significantly higher dry matter
accumulation (g m-2) and number of tillers m-2 were recorded in CT as compared to ZT and BP during
both the years of study. Plant height, number of tiller m-2 and dry matter accumulation were not
influenced significantly by different irrigation levels upto 90 DAS. However, at 120 DAS and harvesting
stage plant height, number of tillers and dry matter accumulation were recorded significantly higher when
two irrigations were applied to the crop at CRI and booting stage (I2) as compared to one irrigation
applied at CRI stage (I1) during both the years of study. Among moisture conservation practices, plant
height, number of tillers and dry matter accumulation were significantly higher in the treatment M3 as
compared to M0 being at par with M1 and M2 during both the years of study. Crop phenology i.e., days
taken to the emergence, booting, heading and to attain the physiological maturity stages did not influence
by different crop establishment methods during both the years of study. Among the irrigation levels, crop
took significantly more number of days to attain booting, heading and physiological maturity stages when
two irrigations were applied to the crop as compared to one irrigation (I1) during both the years of study.
Among the moisture conservation treatments, treatments M3 and M1 took significantly more days to attain
all the phenology stages as compared to M2 and M0 during both the years of study. Yield attributes, i.e.,
spike length, spikelet’s spike-1 (cm), number of grains spike-1 and test weight (g) and grain yield were
significantly higher under BP method of sowing as compared to CT and ZT during both the years of
study. Application of two irrigation (I2) produced significantly more spike length, spikelet’s spike-1,
number of grains spike-1, test weight and number of effective tillers m-2 as compared to one irrigation (I1)
during both the years of study. Among moisture conservation practices, treatment M3 recorded
significantly higher spike length, spikelet’s spike-1, number of grain spike-1, test weight and number of
effective tillers m-2 over M0 being statistically at par with M1 and M2 during both the years of study.
Whereas, number of effective tillers m-2, biological and straw yield were recorded significantly higher
under CT as compared to ZT and BP during both the years. Among irrigation levels, significant higher
biological, grain and straw yields were recorded under I2 treatment as compared to I1 during both the years
of study. Among moisture conservation treatments, significantly higher biological, grain and straw yields
were recorded under the treatment M3 over M0 being statistically at par with M1 and M2 during both the
years of study. However, harvest index and attraction index (%) of wheat did not differ significantly
among different crop establishment treatments, irrigation levels and moisture conservation treatments.
Growth indices i.e., crop growth rate (g/m2/day), relative growth rate (g/g/day), leaf area index (LAI) and
leaf area duration (Days) were significant higher under BP method of sowing as compared to CT and BP
during both the years of study. Maximum CGR, RGR, LAI and LAD were recorded when two irrigations
were applied to the crop, which was significantly higher over one irrigation during both the years of
study. At 61-90, at 91-120 and 121 DAS to harvesting stage, treatment M3 recorded significantly higher
CGR, RGR and LAI over all other treatments i.e., M0, M2 and M1. At anthesis and 15 days after anthesis,
significantly lower canopy temperature was recorded in bed planting over ZT but statistically at par with
CT. At anthesis and at 15 days after anthesis, significantly higher canopy temperature was recorded in I1
over I2. Among moisture conservation practices, significantly higher canopy temperature was noticed in
M0 over M2, M1 and M3 at anthesis and at 15 days after anthesis. At anthesis stage, significantly higher
WUE, RWC, chlorophyll stability index, chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b and total chlorophyll (a+b) were
recorded in BP method of sowing as compared to CT and ZT. At anthesis stage, significantly higher
RWC, chlorophyll stability index, chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b and chlorophyll (a+b) was recorded under
treatment I2 as compared to I1. Among moisture conservation practices, significantly higher RWC,
chlorophyll stability index, chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b and total chlorophyll (a+b) were recorded in
treatment M3 over M0, M2 and M1 during both the years. Among the crop establishment, maximum
consumptive use of water was recorded in CT followed by ZT and the minimum was recorded in BP.
Among irrigation schedules, the maximum consumptive use of water was recorded in I2 and minimum
was noticed in I1 treatment. Among the moisture conservation practices, the maximum consumptive use
of water was recorded in M0 treatment followed by M2 and M1 and the lowest consumptive use of water
was recorded in M3. Maximum WUE was recorded in the I1 treatment whereas, minimum WUE was
noticed in the I2 treatment. Among moisture conservation practices, the maximum water use efficiency
was recorded in the treatment M3 followed by M1 and M2 and the minimum was recorded in M0 during
both the years. Maximum cost of cultivation was recorded in CT followed by BP and ZT during both the
years. However, maximum gross returns were recorded in BP followed by CT and ZT during both the
years. Maximum cost of cultivation and gross returns were recorded in I2 treatment followed by I1
treatment. Among moisture conservation practices, maximum cost of cultivation and gross returns was
recorded in treatment M3 followed by M1, M2 and M0 during both the years. Among the crop
establishment methods, wheat sowing by zero tillage brought out the maximum net returns (₹28056 and
₹15879 ha-1) and B:C ratio (1.34 and 1.18) as compared to CT and BP during 2019-20 and 2020-21,
respectively. Maximum net returns (₹28340 and ₹17410 ha-1) and B:C ratio (1.32 and 1.18) were recorded
in the treatment I2 (two irrigation) and minimum net returns were recorded by I1 during 2019-20 and
2020-21, respectively. Among the moisture conservation practices, maximum net returns (₹31465 and
₹19515 ha-1) and B:C ratio (1.38 and 1.22) were recorded in M2 treatment followed by M0, M3 and M1
during 2019-20 and 2020-21, respectively.