Effect of Pusa Hydrogel and Vermicompost on Crop and Water Productivity of Wheat (Triticum Astivum L.)

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted during rabi season of 2015-16 and 2016-17 at Crop Research Centre (Chirori) of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel University of Agriculture and Technology, Meerut (U.P.) India to study the Effect of Pusa hydrogel and Vermi-compost on Crop and Water Productivity of Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) The soil of the experimental field was well drained, sandy loam in texture and slightly alkaline in nature. It was low in organic carbon and available nitrogen but medium in available phosphorus and potassium. Three irrigation levels viz., I1 (at CRI stage), I2 (at CRI, Booting and Milking) and I3 (at CRI, Late tillering, Late jointing, Flowering and Milking stage) and 4 moisture conservation practices (Application of pusa hydrogel @ 5 kg/ha, Vermi-compost @ 1t/ha, pusa hydrogel @ 5 kg/ha+Vermi-compost @ 1t/ha and no application) were tested in split plot design with 3 replications. Results revealed that the growth parameters and yield attributing characters of wheat viz., number of effective tillers/spike, spikelets/spike (41.3 and 38.9) and test weight (41.2 and 39.5g) were significantly higher under 5 irrigation levels than 3 and 1, being lowest under I irrigation during 2015-16 and 2016-17, respectively. The wheat receiving 5 irrigation out yielded wheat received 3 and 1 irrigation during first and second years by 7.6, 68.8 and 8.1 and 69.4%, respectively. Similarly, wheat grown with 3 and5 irrigations produces 5.98 and 5.84 and 28.88 and 26.65q/ha higher straw yield during 2015-16 and 2016-17, respectively. The highest total nitrogen (105.22 and 97.48 kg/ha), phosphorus (23.05 and 20.94 kg/ha) and potassium (141.96 and 138.41kg/ha) uptake was recorded with 5 irrigations followed by 3 irrigations during first and second years, respectively. The combined application of pusa hydrogel @ 5 kg+ vermin-compost @ 1t/ha over no application at harvest resulted into 33.2 and 31.0 % more dry matter production/m and 41.1 and 39.3% higher number of grains/spike during 2015-16 and 2016-17, respectively. The highest B: C ratio (3.25 and 3.21) was recorded with 5 irrigations followed by 3 irrigations during first and second years and the highest B: C ratio (3.18 and 3.12) was recorded with application of pusa hydrogel @ 5 kg+ vermi-compost @ 1t/ha, respectively. Besides, this treatment also gave highest nutrient uptake by crop along with maintaining the soil fertility and moisture status. Thus, in wheat application of 5 kg pusa hydrogel+1 t Vermi-compost/ha with 05 irrigations (at CRI, Late tillering, Late jointing, Flowering and Milking stage) seems to best under sandy loam soils of North Western Plain Zones of Western Uttar Pradesh.