Influence of irrigation, nitrogen and zinc on productivity and water use by late sown wheat (Triticum aestivum)

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted on deep sandy soil (Typic Ustochrept) at the Water Technology Centre, In dian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, during winter seasons of 1999 2000 and 2000 2001 with late sown HD 2285 wheat (Trticum aestivum L. emend. Fiori Paol.).The treatments comprising 4 irrigation levels [I,, no post sowing irrigation I,, 1 irrigation at crown root intiation (CRI) stage I , 2 irrigations, each at CRI and flower ing stages I, 4 irrigation each given at CRI, jointing, flowering and dough stages] in main plots and combinations of 3 N levels (0, 50 and 100 kg Nlha) and 2 zinc levels (0 and 5 kg Znlha) in subplots were laid out in split design, replicated 3 times, to find out the influence of irrigation, nitrogen, zinc and their interactions on yield and moisture use by the crop. Progressive increase in irrigations from 0 to 4 and N levels from 0 to 100 kg/ha, increased wheat yield attributes and grain yield significantly over the control rteatrnents (loand No). The average seasonal consump tive water use (CU) by wheat increased with every additional irrigation level to a maximum of 328.4 mm and 301.7 mm in the first and second season respectively. On an average (2 seasons), water use efficiency (WUE) was the highest (1 38 kg grain/m3) with I,. However, the straw yield (6,808.5 kglha) and grain yield (3,962.5 kg/ha) were highest with I , . The average moisture use rate increased with increase in irrigation to a maximum of 2.63 mmlday. Maximum moisture extraction of 59.4 to 65.8 % was from the 0 3 0 cm and the minimum (7.10 to 5.32%) from the 90 120 cm soil depth. The WUE increased markedly with the increase in N level.