Influence of wheat varieties and phosphorus levels on the yield contributing characters, yield & economics of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under late sown condition

Abstract

A field experiment was carried out at Agronomy Research Farm of Narendra Deva University of Agriculture and Technology, Narendra Nagar (Kumarganj), Faizabad (U.P.) during Rabi season of 2013-14 to study the response of late sown wheat varieties to different phosphorus levels. Sixteen treatment combinations and consisted of four levels of phosphorus (0 kg P2O5 ha-1, 30 kg P2O5 ha-1, 60 kg P2O5 ha-1, 90 kg P2O5 ha-1) and four varieties of wheat (HUW-234, NW-2036, HD-2643 and DBW-14).The experiment was conducted in Split Plot Design (S.P.D.) with three replications on silt loam having organic carbon (3.8%), nitrogen (203 kg ha-1), phosphorus (12.25 kg ha-1) and potassium (265 kg ha-1). The yield components like number of spikes per square meter, spike length (cm), number of grains spike-1, grain yield (q ha-1), straw yield (q ha-1) and phosphorus uptake at harvest (kg ha-1) were maximum under 90 kg P2O5 ha-1 and among the varieties DBW-14 being at par with NW-2036. Harvest index and 1000-grain weight (g) were not influenced significantly due to phosphorus levels and varieties. The maximum net return (Rs. 50584.3 ha-1) was obtained at 60 kg P2O5 ha-1 with DBW-14 and B: C ratio 1.97 was computed with the same variety DBW-14 at 60 kg P2O5 ha-1. Thus it may be concluded that phosphorus levels of 60 kg P2O5 ha-1 proved as the most suitable practice for the yield potential of late sown wheat. Among the varieties DBW-14 was found most suitable for cultivation under late sown condition for achieving higher yield and economics.