Impact of nitrogen levels and irrigation schedules on wheat (Triticum aestivum) growth, development and yield

Abstract

The research titled "Impact of Nitrogen Levels and Irrigation Schedules on Wheat (Triticum aestivum) Growth, Development, and Yield" was conducted during the Rabi season of 2024-25 at the Agronomy Research Farm, ma University, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh.This study outlines the soil and climatic conditions, experimental methods, and materials used.The experiment evaluated 12 treatment combinations across 36 plots, using the wheat variety DBW-303.Four irrigation regimes were tested: I1 (no irrigation), I2 (one irrigation at Crown Root Initiation (CRI) stage), I3 (three irrigations at CRI, late jointing, and booting stages), and I4 (two irrigations at flowering and late jointing stages).Three nitrogen levels were applied: 40, 80, and 120 kg N ha.Grain yield and yield components, including spikes m, grains per spike, and grain weight, increased with higher irrigation and nitrogen levels.Higher nitrogen rates enhanced yield responses, while water scarcity reduced spikes m.Under limited irrigation, reductions in spikes m and grains per spike were observed across nitrogen levels, with lower grain yields linked to fewer effective tillers.Nitrogen supplementation improved effective tillers across all irrigation regimes.