Response of hydrogel to different irrigation schedule on growth, water use and productivity of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)
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Date
2023
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Department of Agronomy, BAU, Sabour
Abstract
The present investigation was carried out during 2018-2019 and 2019-20 in the Department of Agronomy BAC, Sabour to study the “Response of hydrogel to different irrigation schedule on growth, water use and productivity of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)”. Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is the most important cereal crop grown in the world. It is a predominant source of nutrition and calorie intake of about two billion people constitutes about 36% of the world’s population. Globally, wheat is cultivated in an area of about 220 million hectares with a record production of 763.06 million tonnes of grain. India has the most wheat-growing area (14 percent), followed by Russia (12.43 percent), China (11.14 percent), and the United States (6.90 percent), accounting for around 45 percent of the global total. The maximum effective tillers/ m2, number of grains per tiller, 1000grain weight was recorded in T8 (two irrigations at CRI and Anthesis + hydrogel 30kg/ha) which was statistically at par with other irrigation scheduling of two and three irrigations but significantly higher over no irrigation and one irrigation applied at CRI stage. Dry matter production increased as growth progressed and the maximum value was observed at harvest. It was a function of increased plant height, tiller production, leaf area and leaf area index. The highest dry matter production was associated with two irrigations (I2) caused significant variation as compare to one and no irrigations, but was statically at par with four irrigations. The grain yield is a manifestation of yield contributing characters and therefore maximum grain yield was recorded in T7 (two irrigations at CRI + Anthesis with hydrogel 10kg/ha) and T8 (two irrigations at CRI + Anthesis with hydrogel 30ka/ha) (45.6 q/ha) which was statistically similar to T11 and T6. Higher grain yield and yield attributing characters were observed with two irrigations applied at CRI and Anthesis stage which might be due to the maintenance of adequate available soil moisture in the root zone throughout the crop growth period. Similar result was also reflected in the growth characters of the wheat crop. The present findings are in accordance with Tadayon et al., (2012).
Considering all the combinations of hydrogel dose and irrigation schedules it was observing that two irrigation application at CRI and Anthesis with lower hydrogel dose application provided the optimum benefit cost ratio as compared to reduced or increased irrigation levels. The higher cost of cultivation associated with hydrogel applied treatments was due to the higher cost of hydrogel. However, the net profitability with lower irrigation and hydrogel applied treatment was mainly associated with improved soil moisture availability and higher grain yield of the crop.