Effect of irrigation scheduling and organic manures on yield and economics of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

A field experiment was conducted during the winter (rabi) seasons of 2014–15 and 2015–16 at Jobner, Rajasthan to study the effect of irrigation scheduling and organic manures on growth, yield and quality of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under loamy sand soil. The treatments consisted of 5 irrigation scheduling, i.e. I₁, (irrigation at critical stages); I₂, [0.9 irrigation water: cumulative pan evaporation (IW: CPE ratio); I₃, 0.6 IW: CPE ratio at vegetative phase + 0.8 IW: CPE ratio at reproductive phase; I₄, 0.6 IW: CPE ratio at vegetative phase + 1.0 IW: CPE ratio at reproductive phase; and I₅, 0.8 IW: CPE ratio at vegetative phase + 1.0 IW: CPE ratio at reproductive phase in main plots and 4 organic manures, viz. control (M₀), FYM @ 15 t/ha (M₁), VC @ 6 t/ha (M₂) and FYM @ 7.5 t + VC @ 3 t/ha (M₃) in subplots. The experiment was conducted in splitplot design with 4 replications. The pooled results showed that irrigation applied at 0.9 IW: CPE ratio (I₂) resulted in the maximum yield (grain, straw, biological and harvest index) and net returns, being superior to I₁, I₄ and I₃ treatments except treatment I₅. The treatment I₂ exhibited the maximum value of consumptive use (395 mm). However, the treatment I₅ revealed significantly highest water-use efficiency WUE of 11.34 kg/ha-mm and excelled over rest of the treatments. Application of FYM at 7.5 t/ha + vermicompost at 3 t/ha (M₃) resulted in significantly higher yield (grain, straw, biological and harvest index) which was at par with M₂ and superior to rest of the treatments. The highest consumptive use (409 mm) by the crop was recorded under the treatment M₀. Significantly highest WUE was recorded under M₃ (12.40 kg/ha-mm). The maximum net returns (55,276) was recorded under the treatment M₃ (FYM @ 7.5 t/ha + vermicompost @ 3 t/ha) which remained at par with M₁ but significantly higher to M₀ and M₂ treatment. Thus, scheduling of irrigation to wheat either at 0.9 IW: CPE throughout the growth or 0.8 IW: CPE at vegetative phase + 1.0 IW: CPE at reproductive phase resulted significantly higher yields (grain, straw, biological and harvest index) and net returns. Irrigating the crop at an IW: CPE of 0.8 at vegetative phase + IW: CPE of 1.0 at reproductive phase was most effective as the above schedule besides producing almost equal yields also curtailed 1 irrigation with highest WUE. Manuring the crop either with 7.5 t FYM + 3 t/ha VC or 6 t/ha VC were the equally effective and net returns.