Effect of phosphorus levels on the growth characters and yield of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) varieties under late sown condition.

Abstract

A field experiment was carried out at Agronomy Research Farm of Narendra Deva University of Agriculture and Technology, Narendra Nagar (Kumarganj), Faizabad (U.P.) during Rabi season of 2013- 14 to study the response of late sown wheat varieties to different phosphorus levels. Sixteen treatment combinations and consisted of four levels of phosphorus (0 kg P2O5 ha-1 , 30 kg P2O5 ha-1 , 60 kg P2O5 ha-1 , 90 kg P2O5 ha-1 ) and four varieties of wheat (HUW-234, NW-2036, HD-2643 and DBW-14). The experiment was conducted in Split Plot Design (S.P.D.) with three replications on silt loam having organic carbon (3.8%), nitrogen (203 kg ha-1 ), phosphorus (12.25 kg ha-1 ) and potassium (265 kg ha-1 ). The growth characters like plant height (cm), number of shoots (m-2 ), leaf area index, dry matter accumulation (g m-2 ) were significantly higher under 90 kg P2O5 ha-1 but which was at par with 60 kg P2O5 ha-1 over rest of the levels and among the varieties DBW-14 was at par with NW-2036 while significantly superior over HUW-234 and HD-2643. The yield components like grain yield (q ha-1 ) were maximum under 90 kg P2O5 ha-1 and among the varieties DBW-14 being at par with NW-2036. Thus it may be concluded that phosphorus levels of 60 kg P2O5 ha-1 proved as the most suitable practice for the growth and yield potential of late sown wheat. Among the varieties DBW-14 was found most suitable for cultivation under late sown condition for achieving higher growth and yield