Effect of customized fertilizers on the growth and yield of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under eastern Uttar Pradesh

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted at Agronomy Research Farm of Narendra Deva University of Agriculture and Technology, Kumarganj, Faizabad (U.P.) during Rabi 2015-16 in randomized block design with four replications. The treatment consisted of T1 (control), T2 (RDF), T3 (Soil test-based recommendation), T4 (Indo-Gulf Customized Fertilizer), T5 (TCL Customized Fertilizer) and T6 (Farmer’s Practice). All the growth parameters viz. plant height (cm), number of tillers (m-1), and yield attributes like number of grains spike-1, test weight, grain and straw yield (q ha-1), were maximum under T3 (Soil test based recommendation), which was at par with T4 (Indo-Gulf Customized Fertilizer) and T5 (TCL Customized Fertilizer) and significantly superior over T1 (control), T2 (RDF) and T6 (Farmer’s Practice). At harvest stage the tallest plants of 111.11 cm were recorded with T3 (Soil test based recommendation) followed by Indo-Gulf Customized Fertilizer (108.34cm) and TCL Customized Fertilizer (106.64cm) and the number of tillers meter-2 at harvest (379.25) were found under T3 (Soil test based recommendation) which were 1.28% and 1.71% higher than the T4 (Indo-Gulf Customized Fertilizer) and T5 (TCL Customized Fertilizer) treatments respectively. The maximum grain yield of wheat (46.64 q ha-1) was recorded with T3 (Soil test-based recommendation) which was significantly higher over than control (20.08 qha-1), farmer’s practice (30.78 qha-1) and RDF (38.10 qha-1) while at par with TCL Customized Fertilizer (43.92 qha-1) and Indo-Gulf Customized Fertilizer (44.97 qha-1). The grain yield of wheat was increased with the treatment T3 (Soil test-based recommendation) 22.41% and 51.53% over RDF and farmer’s practise respectively. Similarly, 3.71% and 6.19% over Indo-Gulf Customized Fertilizer and TCL Customized Fertilizer respectively. The yield difference between both the customized fertilizers was not upto the level of significance.