1Associate Professor of Agronomy and Officer In-charge, AICRP on Wheat and Barley Improvement Project, Directorate of Research, B.C.K.V, Kalyani, West Bengal, 741 235
Directorate of Research, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Kalyani, West Bengal, 741 235
*Corresponding author's Email: Dhiman_mukherjee@yahoo.co.in
Online published on 20 July, 2020.
A field experiment was carried out during 2015–16 and 2016–17 at Kalyani, West Bengal, to evaluate the productivity potential of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in relation to tillage and timing of nitrogen application. The highest grain yield was obtained with reduced tillage (3.8 t/ha), being statistically superior to other options. This was followed by zero (3.4 t/ha) and conventional tillage (3.2 t/ha). Sowing of wheat under reduced tillage showed yield superiority of 23.86, 19.43 and 11.14%, respectively, to the surface seeding, conventional and zero tillage owing to better utilization of available resources with minimum disturbance of soil, and higher values of yield-attributing components. Results indicated that increasing the number of splits cannot compensate for basal nitrogen application. Application of nitrogen in 3 splits [one-half before sowing + one-fourth at 21 days after sowing (DAS) + onefourth at 42 DAS] resulted in significantly taller plants, more dry-matter accumulation, higher leaf-area index and grain yield (3.6 t/ha). This treatment showed parity with one-third N before sowing + one-third at 21 DAS + onethird N at 42 DAS (3.4 t/ha). Reduced tillage resulted in higher net returns (51 × 103/ha) and benefit: cost (B:C) ratio (2.22) than the other tillage practices. Time of nitrogen application revealed that, one-half before sowing + one-fourth at 21 DAS + one-fourth at 42 DAS resulted in more net returns (42.8 × 103/ha) and B:C ratio (2.06) and was followed by zero tillage for net returns (43.9 × 103/ha) and B:C ratio (2.18).
Nitrogen, Time of application, Tillage, Wheat, Yield
