Effect of plant geometry and seed treatment on growth and yield of wheat (Triticum aestivum L. emend. Fiori & Paol) under system of wheat intensification (SWI)
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Date
2013
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Department of Agronomy, BAU, Sabour
Abstract
Wheat (Triticum aestivum L. emend. Fiori & Paol.) is one of the leading food crops of the world farming and occupies significant position among the cultivated cereals. Cultivation of wheat has been the symbolic of green revolution that played pivotal role in making the nation a food surplus nation. System of Wheat Intensification (SWI) is a synergistic management technique involving a few components of wheat farming such as planting, irrigation, weeding, nutrient management and seed treatment.The management practices under SWI provide better conditions for growth of wheat crop particularly in the root zone than those plants grown under traditional or conventional wheat farming. Seed treatment or seed priming generally improves germination and helps in early emergence of seedlings. Maintaining controlled plant density is the crucial part in wheat cultivation. Most of the SWI recommendations are of maintaining wider spacing with less number of seeds per hill. However, a very little information regarding the use of SWI technique along with seed treatment is available. An investigation entitled “Effect of plant geometry and seed treatment on growth and yield of wheat under System of Wheat Intensification (SWI)” was conducted during winter season of 2011-2012 at Bihar Agricultural college farm, Sabour (Bhagalpur). Experiment comprising, four different spacing of sowing viz; P1- (23 cm. conventional), P2- (10cm x 10cm), P3-(15cm x 15cm) and P4- (20cm x 20cm) along with seed treatment viz; treated and untreated was conducted in split plot designwith spacing assigned to main plot and seed treatment in sub plot with four replications. The results indicated that maximum yield of wheat (48.46 q/ha) was recorded, when the crop was sown at 15cm x 15cm spacing which was significantly higher than rest of the treatments. However the yield obtained under 15cm x 15cm spacing was statistically at par with the grain yield obtained under 20cm x 20cm spacing (44.88 q/ha). Among seed treatment maximum grain yield was obtained with seed treatment (44.72 q/ha), which was significantly superior to untreated seed. Growth and yield attributing characters viz. germination percent, plant population/ m2 (tillers/m2), LAI at different growth stages, number of effective tillers/m2, grain yield (q/ha), straw yield (q/ha), and harvest index was recorded maximum with 15cm x 15cm spacing. Whereas, 20cm x 20cm spacing recorded the higher value of plant height at different growth stages, length of ear head, fertile spikelets/ear head, number of grains/ear head, and test weight of grains. Maximum net return (Rs. 56955/ha) and B: C ratio (2.01) was recorded with 15cm x 15cm spacing that was significantly higher than the rest of treatments. However the net return obtained under 15cm x 15cm spacing was statistically at par with the net return obtained under 20cm x 20cm spacing (Rs. 52599/ha) and B:C ratio (1.98). Among the seed treatment highest net return (Rs. 50523/ha) and B: C ratio (1.80) was obtained with seed treatment that was significantly higher than untreated seed (Rs. 44753/ha) and B: C ratio (1.62) respectively. In the light of the above mentioned facts it was observed that 15cm x 15cm spacing can proved to be the optimum plant geometry for realizing the potentiality of wheat in terms of growth and yield attributing characters of crop grown under SWI. Seed priming with bio-dynamic formulation was found to be on effective and efficient technique for obtaining higher yield. Hence it may be concluded that 15cm x 15cm spacing and seed treatments with bio-formulation considered to be the economically viable option of wheat cultivation under SWI with an added advantage of 16% more yield than conventional sown wheat crop.