Influence of fertility levels and plant growth regulators on growth and yield of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Abstract

A field experiment entitled “Influence of Fertility Levels and Plant Growth Regulators on Growth and Yield of Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)” was conducted during the Rabi season of 2024-25 at the Crop Research Centre, Maharishi University of Information Technology, Lucknow. The study aimed to evaluate the impact of different fertilizer levels and plant growth regulator (PGR) schedules on growth, yield attributes, and yield of wheat. The experiment comprised twelve treatment combinations involving four fertility levels (Control, 50%, 100%, and 150% Recommended Dose of Fertilizer) and three PGR schedules (No spray, Single spray at 45 DAS, and Double spray at 45 & 75 DAS), laid out in a Randomized Block Design (RBD) with three replications. Results revealed that increasing fertilizer levels significantly improved plant height, flag leaf area, number of tillers per plant, and yield attributes. The highest plant height (110.67 cm), flag leaf area (1.836 cm² at 90 DAS), number of tillers (3.72/plant at 60 DAS), and yield components such as number of ears per plant (3.37), peduncle length (16.62 cm), ear length (10.71 cm), grains per ear (62.78), grain weight per plant (7.75 g), straw weight (9.32 g), total biomass (16.76 g), and 1000-grain weight were recorded under 150% RDF. The application of PGRs significantly influenced crop performance. The double foliar spray at 45 and 75 DAS significantly reduced plant height (93.17 cm at harvest) but enhanced leaf area, number of tillers (3.56 at 60 DAS), ears per plant (3.33), ear length (10.59 cm), grains per ear (59.64), grain weight (7.77 g/plant), straw weight (8.91 g/plant), total biomass (16.38 g/plant), and 1000-grain weight compared to control. It was concluded that the combined application of 150% RDF with a double foliar spray of Lihocin (2 ml/L) + Folicur (1 ml/L) at 45 and 75 DAS was most effective in enhancing the growth and yield of wheat under subtropical agro-climatic conditions.