Impact of tillage practices and integrated nutrient management (INM) on growth and productivity of late sown wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted at Students Instructional Farm (SIF), Department of Agronomy, Collage of Agriculture, Chandra Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture and Technology, Kanpur-208002, (U.P.) for two consecutive years (2016-17 and 2017-18) to study the productivity of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under different tillage practices methods (Conventional tillage method- CT, Minimum tillage method- MT and Zero tillage method- ZT) in main plot and integrated nutrient management practices and six integrated nutrient management practices i.e. Control (No fertilizer)- T1, Farmer practice- T2 100% STR (Soil Test Recommendation NPK)- T3, 100% STR + 5 tonnes FYM- T4, 100% STR + PSB- T5, 100% STR + PSB+ 5 tonnes FYM- T6 in sub plots, replicated trice in a split plot design. Conventional tillage method produced taller plants, higher dry matter accumulation and maximum number of tillers/m2 at 90 DAS as compared to other treatment. Zero tillage produced shorter plant height, minimum dry matter and less number of tillers per m-2. tillage practices methods on yield contributing characters, spike length, spike weight, number of grains/spike, number of spikelets per spike, 1000 seed weight, were positively influenced (Table 2). The longest spike length 8.76 and 9.15 cm were found in first and second year, respectively, under conventional tillage, which was significantly superior over the other tillage practices methods. Significantly more number of grains/spike, higher spike weight and higher test weight were recorded under conventional tillage methods as compared to minimum and zero tillage. Highest yields of grain and straw were recorded under conventional tillage followed by minimum over zero tillage practices. The plant height, dry matter accumulation and number of tillers per plant significantly increased with application of 100% STR + PSB+ 5 tonnes FYM. The maximum height was recorded under 100% STR + PSB+ 5 tonnes FYM followed by 100% STR + PSB, which might have resulted due to increased leaf area, higher photosynthetic rate and more carbohydrate accumulation in plants, thereby increasing dry matter production. integrated nutrient management application at 100% STR + PSB+ 5 tonnes FYM and 100% STR + PSBlevel produced significantly higher number of grains/spike, more spike length, spike weight and more test weight of grains as compared to 100% STR and farmer practices INM practices. The highest grain yield 36.74 and 39.51 q ha-1 and straw yield 45.56 and 48.83 q ha-1 were recorded with 100% STR + PSB+ 5 tonnes FYM which was 20.38% and 25.79% and 24.11% and 28.26% higher than the yield of control.