Effect of Doses and Sources of Nutrients on Growth, Yield and Nutrient Uptake in Timely Sown Wheat (Triticum Aestivum L.)

Abstract

Considering the food and nutritional security concerns and post green revolution second generation problems i.e. increasing input use with declining efficiency trends, deteriorating soil health, depleting water resources, pollution and narrowing profits at the end of farmers, an investigation “Effect of doses and sources of nutrients on growth, yield and nutrient uptake in timely sown wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)” was carried out on well drained sandy loam soil, low in organic carbon and available nitrogen, medium in available phosphorus, potassium and zinc and slightly alkaline in pH during 2019-20 at crop research centre of SVPUA&T, Meerut (U.P.) Novel nutrient sources and their modes of applications with 14 treatments consisting of control, basal applications of recommended 100% NPK (150:60:40) , 75% NPK (112.5:45:30) + water spray + nano N (4 ml l-1) + bio nano P (40 ml l-1) + bio nano K (40 ml l-1) + bio nano Zn (10 ml l-1) in various combinations were attempted on wheat variety DBW17 in RBD with three replications. The results of the study revealed that wheat when grown with 75% NPK + nano nutrients (N + P + K + Zn) attainted significantly better growth as reflected by taller plants (91.7 cm), more no. of tillers m-1 row length (61.8), higher LAI (0.82), LAD(171.5 days), CGR(3.3 g m-1 day-1), RGR(0.0024 g g-1 day-1), NAR (0.008 g m-1 leaf area day-1), and higher dry matter accumulation m-1 row length (239.2), recorded at harvest as also noticed by Mehta (2017). Yield attributes and yields viz. effective tillers m-2 row length (303), number of grains spike-1 (47.2), test weight (39.4g), grain yield (52.4 q ha-1) and straw yield (66.3 q ha-1) were also higher in the crop as against respective value of 268, 42.5, 36.4, 41.3 & 60.4 with 100% NPK and 222, 36.5, 35.4, 27.2 & 41.7 with control. The crop contained 1.8% N, 0.30% P, 0.65% K and 53.2 ppm Zn in grain, 0.58% N, 0.16% P, 1.2% K and 31.8 ppm Zn in straw. Such crop accumulated 132.8 kg N, 27.0 kg P, 102.3 kg K and 489.6 Zn g ha-1. Application of 75% NPK with spray of nano-N/P/K/ Zn and N + P + K + Zn increased protein yield by154.7, 92.9, 64.6, 119.7 and 192.8 kg ha-1over 100% NPK. Applications of nano nutrients – N, P, K, Zn and N +P + K + Zn +75% NPK worked synergistically and increased grain yields by 17.9, 15.7 14.5, 16.5 and 26.9% over 100% NPK. Similar result was also put forward by Sharma et al. (2015). Agronomic Efficiency for N, P & K (22.4, 56.0 & 84.0 kg of gain in yield kg-1of nutrient applied), Physiological Efficiency for N, P & K (27.2, 115.6 & 38.5 kg of grain kg-1 of nutrient absorbed) and Partial Factor Productivity for N, P & K (0.47, 1.2 & 1.7 kg of grain yield kg-1 of nutrient applied), also better under treatment. Soil organic carbon (0.48 %), available N (209.5 kg ha-1), available P (13.6 kg ha-1), available K (154.6 kg ha-1), available Zn (0.88 g kg-1), population of bacteria (0.71 106 cfu g-1), fungal (0.53 104 cfu g-1) & actinomycetes (0.73 103 cfu g-1)) in soil was also highest with the treatment. The crop required an investment of Rs 32881 ha-1 and fetched net return of Rs. 87141 with B:C ratio of 3.7 with 75% NPK + nano-N. Similar trend was observed by Kumar et al. (2014). Thus, the wheat crop grown with application of Nano-N + 75% NPK had attained better growth (plant height, no. of tiller, dry matter accumulation, LAI, LAD, RGR, NAR, yield attributes (effective tillers, ear length, spikelets per spike, grains per spike, test weight) yield (grain, straw and biological), nutrient use efficiency, nutrient content, nutrient uptake, protein content, protein yield and fetched higher net returns with higher B:C ratio. Soil physico-chemical (bulk density, particle density, aggregate stability, EC, pH, organic carbon), available nutrient N, P, K and Zn) and biological properties (bacteria, fungal & actinomycetes) were also better in the plots related with 75% NPK + nano nutrients.