Shoot and root growth of wheat succeeding mungbean and sorghum in relation to planting methods and irrigation scheduling

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted to study shoot and root growth wheat succeeding mungbean and sorghum in relation to planting techniques and irrigation scheduling 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 mungbean as grain and two planting methods viz., conventional and zero tillage in main plots and three irrigation schedules viz., irrigation at CRI + IW/CPE of 0.5, 0.7 and 0.9 in sub plots, replicated thrice. The shoot growth parameters viz., plant height, tillers, LAI and dry matter accumulation of wheat were favourably influenced by preceding crop of mungbean than sorghum. Zero tillage wheat had better shoot growth than the conventional method. Irrigation scheduling with irrigation at CRI + IW/CPE = 0.9 produced better shoot growth parameters than at CRI + IW/CPE = 0.5. The rooting depth of wheat crop recorded at spike initiation, anthesis and milk stages was deeper and root density recorded at anthesis was higher in upper layers after mungbean than sorghum. Roots of wheat were significantly deeper under conventional method as compared to zero tillage at all the three growth stages. While, root density at anthesis was higher in zero tillage as compared to conventional in upper 0-15 cm depth but the reverse was true in 15-30 cm layer. Root depth was recorded maximum with irrigation scheduling at low moisture regime of CRI + IW/CPE = 0.5, and decreased with increase in moisture level. However, the root density at anthesis did not vary much under varying irrigation schedules