Effect of weather parameters on wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grown under different sowing environments in central and south-western Punjab

Abstract

Afield experiment was conducted at the Research Farm, Department of Climate Change and Agricultural Meteorology, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana and Regional Research Station, Bathinda to examine weather variability impact in wheat for two consecutive rabi seasons of 2017–18 and 2018–19. Wheat variety HD-2967 was grown on five dates i.e. 20th October (D1), 05th November (D2), 20th November (D3), 05th December (D4) and 20th December (D5). The earlier sown crop experienced higher temperature during preliminary stages and lower during later stages whereas the reverse pattern was observed with delay in sowing. With delayed sowing, relative humidity (RH) increased during initial crop growth stages and decreased at later crop growth stages. At the time of harvesting, periodic number of tillers, plant height, leaf area index and dry matter were significantly higher under earlier sown crop. Yield attributing characters were: number of effective tillers/m2 (471.67, 492.50 and 486.00, 488.25 per m2 during both years at both the stations), ear length (10.61, 11.81 and 11.22, 11.94 cm during both years at Ludhiana and Bathinda), number of grains/ear (69.68, 73.87 and 68.33, 72.25 during 201718 and 2018–19 at Ludhiana and Bathinda) and 1000-grain weight (43.42, 46.00 and 43.33, 45.42 during both years at both the stations). As a result, grain (50.87, 52.25 and 51.33, 52.92 q/ha, respectively during 2017–18 and 2018–19 at both the stations) and straw yield (97.50, 100.27 and 95.68, 98.50 q/ha, respectively, during both years at Ludhiana and Bathinda stations) were observed significantly higher under 5th November and lowest under 20th December sown crop. The study highlighted the role of earlier sowing of wheat in managing the weather variability impact under Punjab conditions.