Growth, dry matter partitioning and productivity of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under different establishment methods and inter-culture practices

A field experiment was carried out under Randomized Block Design at Norman. E. Borlaug Crop Research Centre of GBPUA&T, Pantnagar, Uttarakhand to evaluate the effect of establishment methods and inter-culture practices on growth and productivity of wheat (cv. HD 2967). Seven treatments including five crop establishment methods viz., conventional tillage (CT), reduced tillage (RT), zero tillage (ZT), raised bed 40/20 cm and raised bed 60/20 cm and two inter-culture practices viz. conoweeding (CW) and alternate ridging (AR) at 35days after sowing were evaluated. Wheat grown under ZT, RT and CT conditions produced significantly higher plant height compared to raised bed. Effective tillers (423 m⁻²) and total dry matter (DM) production (1478.3 g m⁻²) were higher in RT condition. Tiller mortality was highest (56.0%) with CT practice and lowest in RB 40/20 cm land configuration. Wheat grown on raised bed 40/20 cm recorded significantly higher root weight density compared to remaining treatments followed by raised bed 60/20 cm. Partitioning of DM towards sink (spike) was highest in raised bed method. Wheat grown under reduced tillage condition resulted highest grain yield (5.44 t ha⁻¹) that was statistically similar to CT, and ZT, however it was 17.6 and 11.6% higher than raised bed 40/20 and 60/20cm, respectively. Both CW and AR inter-culture practices resulted less yield than CT.