Performance of wheat [Triticum aestivum (L.) emend. Fiori & Paol] varieties under varying sowing and input management systems
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Date
2007
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MPUAT, Udaipur
Abstract
ABSTRACT
In order to evolve low cost, resource efficient production technology for wheat, a field experiment entitled “Performance of wheat [Triticum aestivum (L.) emend. Fiori & Paol] varieties under varying sowing and input management systems” was conducted on clay loam soils having medium in available N, P and high in K status (259.50, 23.30 and 383.05 kg available N, P and K ha-1, respectively), EC 0.79 dSm-1 and pH 8.17 at the Instructional Farm, Department of Agronomy, Rajasthan College of Agriculture, Udaipur during the rabi season of the year 2002 -03 and 2003-04. The objectives were to evaluate performance of newly recommended wheat variety GW 322 compared to existing popular variety Lok-1 and to assess agronomic feasibility of furrow irrigated raised bed (FIRB) sowing system for sole wheat and wheat intercropped with forage crops (berseem / Chinese cabbage) compared to conventional one and to explore possibilities for reducing inputs (seed and fertilizers).
The treatments consisted combinations of 2 wheat varieties (GW 322 and Lok-1), 4 sowing systems i.e., conventional (rows at 22.5 cm apart), FIRB sole wheat (two rows of wheat on each bed at a distance of 70 cm), FIRB + berseem (simultaneous sowing of wheat on beds and berseem in furrows), FIRB + Chinese cabbage (simultaneous sowing of wheat on beds and Chinese cabbage in furrows) and 4 input levels i.e., 100% recommended seed + 100% recommended fertilizer, 75% recommended seed + 75% recommended fertilizer, 100% recommended seed + 75% recommended fertilizer and 75% recommended seed + 100% recommended fertilizer. These 32 treatment combinations were evaluated under split plot design allocating combination of varieties and sowing system in main plots and input levels in sub plots with 3 replications.
The results showed that variety GW 322 produced significantly higher tillers m-2 and had higher nitrogen status in plant parts as well as accumulated maximum quantum of biomass m-2 at each stage and at harvest.
This manifested in production of higher effective tillers m-2 and improvement in yield attributes (weight of single ear, grain weight ear-1, grains ear-1 and grain m-2) with concomitant increase in crop productivity in terms of grain and biological yield by 10.1 and 11.6 per cent over Lok-1. This variety also showed superiority in grain protein content. Besides these, growing of GW 322 gave additional net returns of Rs 3939 ha-1 over Lok-1 and increased B:C ratio from 3.53 to 3.83.
Among sowing system, conventional sowing significantly enhanced overall growth of the crop in terms of total tillers m-2 and biomass accumulation at successive growth stages compared to FIRB planted sole wheat as well as intercropped with forage crops. These improvements reflected in realization of increased grain, straw and biological yields by 14.3, 19.3, 27.5; 15.5, 18.9, 21.8 and 15.0, 19.0, 27.6 per cent over FIRB (W), FIRB (W+B) and FIRB (W+CC), respectively.
On wheat equivalent yield basis, FIRB (W+B) proved most economically viable sowing system as it produced highest WEY (74.53 q ha-1) and fetched significantly highest returns (Rs 46809 ha-1) representing monetary gain of Rs 3533, Rs 11252 and Rs 17400 ha-1 over FIRB (W+CC), conventional and FIRB (W) systems.
Among input levels, 100% RSR + 75% RDF and 75% RSR + 75% RDF significantly reduced total dry matter by 5.1 and 10.0 per cent over 100% RSR + 100% RDF. However, reduction in seed rate did not bring any significant reduction in dry matter accumulation. The reduction in input levels i.e., 75% RSR + 75% RDF and 100% RSR + 75% RDF significantly reduced the crop yields. The extent of reductions were by 9.0, 9.4, 9.2 and 6.4, 6.0, 6.2 per cent in grain, straw and biological yield ha-1. While reduction in seed rate had least adverse effect on crop productivity. The crop raised with reduced inputs of aforesaid level (75% RSR + 75% RDF) accumulated least nutrients at successive stages and at harvest. Compared to highest overall productivity (64.16 q WEY ha-1), profitability (Rs 40818 ha-1) and B:C (3.75) with use of 100% RSR and fertilizers + 100% RDF, reduced input levels of 75% RSR + 75% RDF and 100% RSR + 75% RDF reduced it by 5.36, 4.94, q ha-1; Rs 3909, 3623 ha-1 and 0.13, 0.15, respectively. While reduction in seed rate by 25 per cent under input levels of 75% RSR + 100% RDF had least effect.
Description
Performance of wheat [Triticum aestivum (L.) emend. Fiori & Paol] varieties under varying sowing and input management systems
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Citation
Kumar and Singh, 2007