Effect of different levels of nitrogen and splitting modules on growth, development and yield of late sown wheat in IGPZ

The challenge that the world is facing has been to maximize food production to feed the increasing population. Further, agriculture at present encompasses many problems such as, nitrogen deficiency in soil, declining partial factor productivity, stagnating grain yield, environmental pollution and land degradation reduction. To manage long term soil fertility, productivity as well as environment quality with integrated nitrogen management approach can be the most sustainable practices to adopt by farmers. Therefore a field experiment was conducted to study the “Effect of different levels and splitting of nitrogen on productivity, quality and nitrogen use efficiency of late sown wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under integrated nitrogen management approach ”at Crop Research Centre, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel University of Agriculture & Technology Meerut, (U.P.) during the Rabi seasons of two consecutive years, 2016–17 and 2017–18. The main object of investigation was to find out the optimum dose and splitting of nitrogen for late sown wheat in irrigated system under integrated approach. The experiment consisting of four nitrogen levels viz. control i.e. 0 kg N ha-1, 90 kg N ha-1, recommended dose of nitrogen i.e 120 kg N ha-1 and 150 kg N ha-1 as main plots and four splitting modules M1–50% N as basal through VC, + 25% at CRI + 25% booting stage through urea, M2–50% N as basal through FYM + 25% at tillering + 25% at booting stage through urea, M3–50% N as basal through VC+FYM (1: 1), + 25% at tillering + 20% at booting stage and 5% N as foliar spray at pre flowering stage through urea, M4–50% N as basal through VC+FYM (1: 1), rest based on SPAD reading through urea as sub-plots. The experiment consisted of sixteen treatment combinations was laid out in split-plot design (SPD) with three replications. The results revealed that the highest growth parameters viz., plant height, leaf chlorophyll index value (SPAD value), dry matter accumulation, CGR, RGR, LAD recorded at different stages of crop growth and yield (grain, straw and biological yield) were obtained with 150 Kg N ha-1 but it remained statistically on par with 120 Kg N ha-1, during both investigation year. Moreover, among different splitting modules M3 resulted significantly higher entire growth parameters and yield (grain, straw and biological yield). The M3 produced higher grain yield by 7.9, 14.7 and 24.8 per cent during 2016–17 and 8.1, 14.89 and 25.2 per cent during 2017–18 over M4, M1 and M2 splitting modules, respectively.