Polycoated urea performance in wheat under semi-arid tropics

Field experiments were conducted using wheat cultivar HD-2967 during Rabi 2016-17 for evaluating efficiency of polycoated urea (PCU) (42% N) viz. neem coated urea (NCU) (46% N) under semi-arid tropical conditions in Tarn Taran district of Punjab, India. Treatments comprised of T1 100% N through NCU (3-Splits), T2 100% N through PCU (3-Splits), T3 100% N through PCU (1-Split), T4 75% N through PCU (1-Split). Results revealed that T3 treatment had highest grain as well as straw yields followed by T1, T2 and T4 (for grain yields) while T4, T1 and T2 (for straw yields) though in a non-significant mode. Crop biomass reported to be significantly higher in T3 in January while become at par during February and March, 2017. Among yield attributes viz. spike length, grains spike⁻¹ and 1000 grain weight reported to be highest in T3 while tillers reported to be highest in the T2 treatment. Nitrogen concentration (%) in plant biomass reported to be highest in T3 followed by T1, T4 and T2, respectively. Among, nutrient efficiency parameters viz. agronomic efficiency (kg N ha⁻¹) and physiological efficiency (kg N ha⁻¹) T3 (100% PCU (1 splits) reported to have highest values than T1 and T2, where as recovery efficiency (%) found to be highest in T4 followed by T3, T2 and T1, respectively. Hence, being a slow release fertilizer 100% PCU (42% N) (1-Split) will serve the purpose for sustainable wheat production in semi-arid tropics.