Effect of Irrigation Schedule and Organic Fertilizer on Wheat Yield, Nutrient Uptake, and Soil Moisture in Northwest India

Abstract

Indiscriminate and injudicious application of inorganic fertilizers and irrigation, respectively, cause declines in crop productivity as well as environmental pollution. Therefore, judicious use of organic manures and proper scheduling of irrigation are required for sustainable production of wheat crops. A two-year (2014–2015 and 2015–2016) study was conducted to determine the wheat nutrient uptake, soil moisture, and grain yield as a result of organic manures and irrigation schedule. The experiment was set up with four treatments of organic manure in four subplots with repellents and five irrigation planning treatments in the main plot. The results showed that an irrigation/water ratio of 0.9 irrigation water depth/cumulative pan evaporation (I2) increased grain yield, soil moisture content, and nutrient uptake of wheat (I3) compared to 0.6 IW/CPE during the vegetative period and 0.8 IW/CPE during the reproductive period. According to statistics, it was found that the vegetative period is maintained at 0.8 IW/CPE, and the reproductive period is maintained at 1.0 IW/CPE (I5). Applying 7.5 Mg ha−1 of farmyard manure (FYM) plus 3 Mg ha−1 of vermicompost while employing organic manure increases grain output, soil moisture content, and nutrient content and absorption compared to the control treatment. Therefore, it is concluded that irrigation either at I2 or I5 + FYM at 7.5 Mg ha−1 + vermicompost at 3 Mg ha−1 could be recommended for enhancing grain of wheat cultivation, particularly in the semiarid regions of northwestern India.