Morpho-Physiological Changes in Wheat (Triticum Aestivum) Associated with Different Cropping Sequence and Nutrient Management Practices

Abstract

Food pressure and land limitations for crop cultivation compels us to think about vertical expansion of crops to feed earth dwellers. Considering this, two years of field experiments were conducted in a split plot design at the Norman E. Borlague Crop Research Center of G. B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar, India, to find out the effect of cropping sequences and nutrient management on the performance of wheat crop. The experimental plot was silty, clay loam in texture, medium in organic carbon and available phosphorus and low in nitrogen. However, the pH was slightly alkaline. Two cropping sequences viz. Rice-wheat and rice-lahi-wheat were kept in the main plot, and nutrient management practices were kept in sub plots. Seven nutrient management practices, i.e. Control, FYM @ 10 t/ha, Green manuring before rice, Rice straw incorporated without starter dose of N, and Rice straw incorporated with starter dose of N @ (20 kg N/ha were applied in wheat. RDF, i.e 150:60:40 kg NPK/ha, was applied in all the treatments. Comparative results revealed that morphological characteristics viz plant height at maturity, numbers of tillers, ear bearing shoots, leaf area index, and leaf nitrogen content and physiological parameters viz. chlorophyll content, rate of photosynthesis and nitrate reductase were significantly higher in rice-wheat cropping sequences than rice-lahi wheat cropping sequences. Similarly, yield and yield contributing characteristics and economic returns were significantly higher in rice-wheat cropping sequences than rice-lahi-wheat. Among nutrient management practices, superior morphological parameters, physiological parameters, yield attributing characteristics, grain yield and economic return were noticed in the plots that received either FYM or crop residue with a starter dose than the other nutrient management practices. Results suggest that the rice- wheat cropping system was a better cropping system than the rice-lahi-wheat system and RDF, and, with the addition of FYM or crop residue, can be helpful to increase morpho-physiological determinants in wheat and thereby increase yield and profit.