Effect of Irrigation Levels and Silicon on Growth and Productivity of Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.)

Irrigation management and silicon fertilization are critical challenges in optimizing crop performance, particularly under water stress conditions. Therefore, effective irrigation and silicon fertilization strategies are crucial for optimizing barley growth, particularly under varying environmental conditions. This study investigates the impact of varying irrigation levels and silicon application on the growth, phenology, yield attributes and quality of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.).

The experiment was conducted under controlled field conditions at the Agriculture Research Farm, Department of Agronomy, Lovely Professional University, Jalandhar, during the Rabi season of 2023–2024. It utilized a split plot design (SPD), featuring three irrigation levels based on number of irrigations: I₁ (no irrigation), I₂ (two irrigations at tillering and grain development) and I₃ (four irrigations at tillering, jointing, booting and grain development stages) and five silicon treatments: S₁ (control), S₂ (0.50% at tillering), S₃ (0.50% at tillering and booting), S₄ (1% at tillering) and S₅ (1% at tillering and booting). Observations were recorded on plant population, leaf area, days to emergence, heading, flowering, physiological maturity, weight of grains spike^-1, biological yield, SPAD chlorophyll index, proline content and relative water content.

Results indicated that employing four irrigation treatments and 0.5% silicon spray applied at key growth stages significantly improved barley morphology, phenology, yield characteristics, biochemical attributes and plant-water relations indicating better water retention and stress tolerance. The synergistic effects of these treatments suggest that balanced irrigation coupled with silicon application can be an effective strategy for maximizing barley growth and quality in varying environmental conditions. This research offers valuable insights for agricultural practices aimed at optimizing cereal crop performance under variable water availability for effective crop management practices.