Department of Agronomy, Rajendra Agricultural University, Pusa, Samastipur, Bihar, 848 125
1Present address: Department of Statistics and Mathematics, R.A.U., Pusa, Bihar
An experiment was conducted during the winter (rabi) seasons of 1997–98 and 1998–99 to study the effect of fertilizer levels and seed rates on growth and yield of surface-seeded wheat (Triticum aestivum L. emend. Fiori & Paol.) under lowland rice ecosystem of north Bihar. Application of 150, 75 and 50 kg N, P and K/ha recorded significantly higher values of yield-attributing characters, grain and straw yield, net return and NPK uptake by the crop than the lower levels of fertilizer but net return/rupee of investment and protein content in grains increased significantly only up to 120, 60 and 40 kg N, P and K/ha. Among the seed rates, 175 kg seed/ha resulted maximum number of ears/m2, grain and straw yield, net return, net return/rupee of investment and NPK uptake than 150 and 125 kg/ha seed rates. Protein content in grains was unaffected by seed rates. Application of 150, 75 and 50 kg N, P and K/ha together with 175 kg seed/ha was found to be the best for obtaining higher grain yield of surface-seeded wheat.
Surface seeding, Wheat, Ecosystem, Seed rate, Fertilizer levels
