Efficacy of hydrogel and chitosan on wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Growth and yield under deficit irrigation level

Abstract

In India natural sources of water for irrigation is rainfall or by using artificial resources. Apart from that now rainfall pattern leading to unpredictable changes due to climate change and global warming. Based on experimentation at New Delhi, India has reported that a 1oc rise in temperature throughout the growing period will reduce wheat production by 5 million tonnes. Wheat is most sensitive to drought stress. Water stress at this stage is substantially impact on yield. Due to increase in rate of transpiration that will rise demand. To cope up with coming situation the experiment was conducted at Central Agricultural field, Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology & Sciences, U.P on wheat variety (HD-2967). Hydrogel and Chitosan were taken under different concentration to evaluate the effect of hydrogel and chitosan on growth and yield of wheat under water deficit condition as hydrogel can retain large quantity of water and chitosan can reduce transpirational loss of water. Hydrogel (100 %, 75 %, 50 % and 25 %) and Chitosan (100 %, 75 % and 50 %) with twenty-one treatments and three replications along with control were laid out in randomized block design. Growth and yield parameters were observed. Result on crop growth and yield under water deficit condition was observed. Treatment T9 (100 % HG and 100 % CHT) showed best results, however T10 was statistically at par with T9, while T11 was found non-significant with T0.