Effect of Methods of Urea Application on Yield of Wheat, and Nitrogen Fertilizer and Water Use Efficiency

Field experiment was conducted for two years (1986–87 and 1987–88) to evaluate methods of urea application to wheat at five levels of N and two levels of irrigation. The experiment consisted of two methods of urea application i.e. application of urea with pre-sowing irrigation (PSI) and with last preparatory tillage (PT), six levels of nitrogen (0, 30, 60, 90, 120 and 150 kg N ha⁻¹) and two irrigation levels. Results indicate that PSI method gave higher grain yield than PT method at all the levels of nitrogen and irrigation. The PSI method caused 7 to 34 per cent increase in N fertilizer use efficiency over PT method. It also increased water use efficiency (2 to 24 per cent) over PT method. The economic response dose with PSI method was lower than PT method under both irrigation regimes.