Growth performance of wheat (Triticum aestivum) in relation to tillage and nutrient management

Four years field experimentation was conducted at G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar during 2012–13 to 2015–16 to investigate the effect of chiseling combined with other tillage options and nutrient management practices on growth attributing characters of wheat under lowland rice-wheat cropping system. Three tillage treatments (viz., conventional tillage (CT) without chiseling, chiseling followed by CT and chiseling followed by rotavator) and three nutrient management options (viz., 100% recommended dose of fertilizer (RDF), combined application of 100% RDF along with FYM @ 15 tonnes ha⁻¹ and 125% RDF combined with FYM) were laid out in strip plot design. Chiseling before either disk harrowing or rotavator in tillage and application of 125% RDF of nutrients along with FYM was resulted in to increased growth attributing characters (plant height, dry matter, leaf chlorophyll content, NPK uptake, LAI, CGR and NAR) and grain yield of wheat crop as compared to tillage without chiseling and nutrient management without inclusion of organic sources. This suggests following chiseling operation after harvesting of puddled rice crop with conventional tillage and increase doses of NPK along with FYM application for better growth and development of wheat.