DRY MATTER AND STRAW YIELD IN WHEAT AS INFLUENCED BY PRECEDING CROPS, PLANTING METHODS AND IRRIGATION LEVELS
SURESH KUMAR, A.S. DHINDWAL AND R.K. ARYA
RDS Seed Farm,
CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar
(Email:sureshsilla@gmail.com)
(Received: 13 December 2013; Accepted: 27 December 2013)
SUMMARY
Dry matter and straw yield wheat succeeding mungbean and sorghum was evaluated under two planting methods and three irrigation levels during 2003-2004 and 2004-05 at research farm of CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, Haryana (India). The treatments consisted of two preceding crops viz., sorghum as green fodder and moong as grain and two planting methods viz., conventional and zero-tillage in main plots and three irrigation levels viz., irrigation at CRI + IW/CPE of 0.5, 0.7 and 0.9 in sub plots, replicated thrice. Total dry weight recorded at spike initiation, anthesis, milk and physiological maturity stages of wheat crop during both the crop seasons was substantially higher after moong than the sorghum. Wheat planted by zero tillage accumulated significantly higher total dry weight at all the growth stages during both the crop seasons compared to conventional tillage. The dry matter accumulation increased significantly with the increase in level of irrigation from irrigation at CRI + IW/CPE=0.5 to 0.9 during the first crop season, however, at spike initiation stage the dry matter accumulation was at par among the irrigation levels. Straw yield of wheat succeeding moong was significantly higher during the two crop seasons (7288 and 6856 kg/ha) as compared to that succeeding sorghum (6342 and 6561 kg/ha). Zero tillage in wheat produced significantly higher pooled straw yield (6969 kg/ha) as compared to conventional tillage (6555 kg/ha). Higher level of irrigation at CRI + IW/CPE=0.9 produced higher straw yield of wheat during both the crop seasons than lower levels of CRI + IW/CPE=0.5 and 0.7. Nitrogen content in wheat straw was higher succeeding moong than sorghum in both the crop seasons. Planting methods did not influence the N content in wheat straw during the first crop season, but in second crop season its content in wheat straw was higher under conventional tillage than zero tillage. Nitrogen content in straw was higher with lower level of irrigation at CRI + IW/CPE=0.5 than at higher levels of CRI + IW/CPE=0.7 and 0.9.
Key words: Wheat, zero-tillage, preceding crops, irrigation levels, dry matter accumulation, straw yield