Effect of seed priming, bio fertilizer inoculations and nitrogen levels on yield attributes, yield and economic returns of late sown wheat

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted at CCSHAU, Hisar to determine the effect of seed priming, biofertilizer inoculations and nitrogen levels on late sown wheat. The experiment comprised of 5 seed priming treatments i.e. no seed priming, seed priming with water, seed priming with water + Azotobacter, seed priming with water + AM fungi, seed priming with water + Biomix in main plot and 4 nitrogen levels viz. 120, 135, 150 and 165 kg ha-1 in sub plot was carried out in split plot design with three replications. Seed priming with water along with either of biofertilizer inoculations i.e., Azotobacter, AM fungi and Biomix significantly improved grain yield, straw yield and yield attributes except 1000 - grain weight as compared to non primed-uninoculated treatment. However, harvest index was not significantly influenced by seed priming as well as inoculation treatments. The net returns (Rs.44041 ha-1 ha) and B:C ratio (2.07) were highest under the treatment water primed seeds inoculated with biomix closely followed by water primed seeds inoculated with AM fungi with returns of Rs. 43471 ha-1 and B:C of 2.06. Application of 150 kg N ha-1 significantly improved yield attributes except 1000 grain weight; yields and economic returns over both 120 and 135 kg N ha-1 levels, however, it was at par to 165 kg N ha-1 dose. Integrated use of 135 kg N ha-1and water primed seed inoculated with biomix gave yield and economic returns comparable to highest dose of 165kg N ha-1 alone.