Effect of Sowing Direction and Wheat Cultivars on Growth and Yield in Indo-Gangetic Plains of India

Abstract

A field experiment was carried out during rabi season where different wheat cultivars (PBW-343, HUW-234 and NW-1012) and direction of sowing (E-W and N-S) were taken in Factorial Randomized Block Design replicated four times. All the yield attributing characters like number of effective tillers, spike length, number of grains spike–1, grain weight spike–1 were significantly higher under East-West direction of sowing over North-South direction of sowing. Among the all cultivars PBW-343 was found significantly superior over NW-1012 and HUW-234. The grain yield, straw yield and light intensity were increased significantly under East-West direction of sowing and among the cultivars PBW-343 recorded significantly higher value of above characters over NW-1012 and HUW-234. Maximum heat unit requirement and days taken to 50% ear emergence and maturity was recorded under North-South direction of sowing and among the cultivars it was found maximum in PBW-343. The maximum net return and B:C ratio were obtained in E-W direction of sowing along with PBW-343 cultivar. Thus it may be revealed that sowing in East-West direction with cultivar PBW-343 was found most suitable for cultivation under Indo-Gangetic Plains of India.