Effect of chisel ploughing and nutrient management with different row spacing in wheat under rice- wheat cropping system

An agronomic investigation was undertaken to evaluate the performance of growth and yield of wheat to inclusion of chisel ploughing in preparatory tillage, nutrient and row spacing management at Crop Research Center of Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar during year 2014–15 and 2015–16 in rabi season on silty loam soil in fixed plot for both the years with factorial strip plot design replicated thrice. The vertical main strips included three tillage options viz. chisel ploughing followed by conventional tillage, chisel ploughing followed by rotavator tillage and conventional tillage without chiseling. Vertical sub strips were allocated by two row spacing viz. 20cm and 15 cm; whereas horizontal strips consist of three nutrient management treatments viz. recommended dose of fertilizer (RDF) NPK, RDF combined with application of 15 t/ha FYM and combined application of 125% RDF with FYM. Two times disk harrowing was the conventional tillage system of locality. Chiseling was done to the depth of 45cm with chisel plough. RDF of wheat used during experimentation was 150: 60: 40 kg/ha of NPK. Chisel ploughing operation before conventional tillage or rotavator produced significantly tallest plants and higher number of tillers with more dry matter production, higher leaf chlorophyll content and NPK uptake by plant; which ultimately resulted into superior yield attributing characters and wheat grain yield. These all growth and yield characters were recorded significantly higher in combined application of 125% RDF with FYM over all the other treatments. Sowing of wheat with 15 or 20 cm row spacing did not affect growth and yield parameters in wheat. Inclusion of chisel ploughing operation during in tillage system and application of 125% RDF combined with FYM @ 15t/ha improved available NPK content in soil along with higher economic return and energy use efficiency.