Morpho-physiological responses of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) to foliar applied potassium under different planting geometry

Abstract

Potassium deficiency is well known worldwide. Potassium deficiency causes many types of abnormalities in both humans and plants. Potassium is an important nutrient for plants. Its deficiency reduces chlorophyll formation, growth, yield and tillering capacity in plants. To evaluate the growth and yield of wheat to various potassium levels under different planting geometry. A field study was managed at Postgraduate Agriculture Research Station Faisalabad during the year 2018-2019. Experiment was comprised of four levels of potassium control, water foliar application, potassium foliar application @ 0.25 g and potassium foliar application @ 0.5 g with three panting geometries (bed sowing, line sowing at 22.50 cm and broadcast). Muriate of potash (25 % K2O) was applied as a potassium source. In all treatments, nitrogen and phosphorus were used @ 150 and 100 kg ha-1 respectively. The experiment was replicated 3 times and was carried out in split plot arrangement, randomizing the potassium levels were in sub plots and planting geometry in main plots. Net plot size was maintained as 6 ft x 6 ft. Potassium was applied at different levels in the different treatments at the time of sowing. All of the potassium (K) phosphorous (P) with half of nitrogen (N) was applied at the time of sowing while remaining amount of N was given with first irrigation. First irrigation was done after 23 days of sowing. Growth and yield data were recorded and analyzed statistically using Fisher analysis of variance techniques and differences among the treatment means were compared using Tuckey’s test at 5% probability level. Results showed that yield-related characteristics such as productive tillers, spikelets per spike, number of grains per spike, significant and maximum grain weight more emergence count (m-2), 1000-grain weight (g), biological yield and grain yield (t ha-l ) was recorded where potassium levels were applied at the rate 0.25% and 0.5% as compare to control and water foliar application, that means foliar application of potassium significantly increase the per acre yield of wheat crop. Planting geometry has also shown a substantial response to growth, yield characteristics and the concentration of grain potassium