Studies on Performance of Tillage Practices and Water Regime on Yield and Water Productivity of Wheat (Triticum Aestivum L.)

Abstract

(An ~bstract of the thesis submitted to SVP Univ. of Ag. & Tech. Meerut, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor in Philosophy in Agronomy) . The investigation entitled "Studies on performance of tillage practices and water regime on yield and water productivity of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)" was carried out at Crop Research Centre ofSardar Vallabhbhai Patel University of Agriculture & Technology, Meerut-250110 (U.P.) during Rabi seasons of2013-14 and 2014-15. The experiment consisting of five tillage practices in main plots and three treatments viz I1 - IW/CPE 0.45, h- IW/CPE 0.60, I3- IW/CPE 0.75 in sub-plots was laid out in split plot design with three replications. The plant height and dry matter accumulation among the yield attributes number of grain spike"1,test weight, spike length and number of spikelet's spike·' were significantly higher with wheat sown on wide raised beds all other tillage practices except narrow raised beds zero tillage plots. Similarly furrow irrigated raised beds increased the grain yield of wheat significantly over rest of the plots during both the years. However, the grain yield of wheat was statistically at par with zero tillage. The increase in level of moisture content by furrow irrigated raised beds techniques increased the N, P and K uptake from Ts (11 1.23, 101.86; 23.83, 21.18 and 129.63, 111.72 kg ha"1 ) and formT, (118.16, 116.74; 27.05, 26.11 and 132.78, 120.34 kg ha" 1) treatment during both the years of study, respectively. The maximum net profit among tillage practices Rs 64301.70 and Rs 60904.30 ha"1 with B: C ratio 2.24 and 2.00 were recorded in wide raised beds plots. The wide raised beds plots increased the water use efficiency of 15.12 and 15.78 kg grain ha· 1 mm. The per cent increased in water use efficiency under wide raised beds over conventional tillage was 38.67 and 39.23 % during 2013-14 and 2014-15, respectively. The plant height, dry matter accumulation, increased with increase in irrigation frequency. Among the yield attributes number of grain spike"1 , test weight, spike length and number of spikelet's spike·' increased significantly with increase in irrigation frequency fro_m I to 3 and 2 to 3, respectively. The grain yield increased by 18.1 and 18.5% over I1 and 8.5 and 8.7 %over I~ m I3 (50.02 and 48.94 kg ha" 1) during 2013-14 and 2014-15 respectively. The increase in irrigation frequency increased theN (7.5 and 10.3 %), P (19.6 and 17.4 %) and K ('13.4 and 15.2. %) over I, and N (6.4 and 5.~ %), P (10.~ and 10.1 %) and K (6.3 and 8.8 %) over h in r3 treatment in grain during two years of study, respective!~. The h1gh~t n~t profit (Rs 65256.40 and Rs 61976.70 ha"') with B: c ratio of 2.24 and 2.04 was recorded w1th the apphcat1on of three irrigations at 22, 65 and I 05 DAS in wheat crop.