Effect of Continuous Cropping and Fertilization on Yield Attributing Characters, Yield and Nutrient Uptake of Wheat

 

Deepak Kumar1, Alok Tiwari1, Lalita  Humne1  and D.P. Singh2

1Department of Soil Science, Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya Raipur (C.G.) 492006

2S.G. College of Agriculture and Research Station, Jagdalpur, Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya Raipur (C.G.)

 

ABSTRACT

A field experiment was conducted at Raipur, in wheat crop grown after rice, application of 50% of the recommended N through organic sources i.e. FYM, rice straw and green manure to rice and 50% through chemical fertilizer or even with 100% of recommended NPK fertilizer to rice and wheat significantly produced the plant height, number of tillers per square meter, plant population per square meter, number of spikelet’s per spike, test weight, elongate the growth span and increased the grain and straw  yield and simultaneously nutrient uptake of wheat crop. When 75% NPK + 25% N applied through organic sources to rice and 75% recommended dose of NPK fertilizer to wheat, significantly increased the aforesaid yield components, yield and nutrient uptake respectively,  over no NPK fertilizer. The application of 50% recommended NPK fertilizer to rice and wheat had no significant effect on yield components, yield and nutrient uptake of wheat. Higher response was observed where integration of recommended fertilizer dose with organic source was done in preceding rice crop.

 

 

INTRODUCTION:

Rice-wheat cropping system assumed immense significant in view of its excellent growth in terms of area, production and productivity during first three decades of Green Revolution throughout Indo-Gangatic Plains (IGP) of India. However, rate of growth in rice-wheat cropping system declined sharply during early nineties as compared to seventies, especially in intensively cultivated high productivity zone of IGP. Such declining trends were partially attributed to exhaustive nutrient mining by the system (Hedge and Dwivedi, 1992). Continuous application of fertilizers for a long-term may result in the build up of soil nutrient, a part of which may be used by the crops grown in subsequent years. Therefore, it is desirable to improve the physico-biochemical properties of the soil through integration of organic and inorganic source of nutrient for maintaining higher productivity but also in providing greater stability of crop production (Singh et al, 1994).

 

Moreover, the nutrient requirement of most of the crop has been worked out in isolation not always taking into consideration of the particular cropping sequence. It is seen that the fertilizers supplied to one crop has residual and carry-over effect on the succeeding crop which cannot be ignored in an ideal and economically viable nutrient management approach. The present study was therefore undertaken to find out the effect of continuous cropping and fertilization on yield attributing characters, yield and nutrient uptake of wheat.

 

MATERIAL AND METHODS:

A field experiment was conducted at All India coordinated Research Projected on Cropping System Research, Instructional farm IGAU, Raipur during rabi 2005-06. The wheat var. GW 273- was used as test crop. The climate of the experimental site in sub-humid and the mean annual rainfall of the area is 1200 mm. The soil belonging to the order Inceptisol and is neutral in soil reaction.

 

 


The twelve treatments consisting of combination fertilizers and organic sources of nutrients in rice and only chemical fertilizers at different levels in wheat were tested in randomized block design with three replications.

 

The recommended doses of fertilizers were 80:60:40 and 100:50:30 (N:P2O5:K2O kg ha-1) for rice and wheat, respectively. Half of the nitrogen and full dose of phosphorus and potassium were applied as basal through urea, single super phosphate and murate of potash, respectively. The rest of nitrogen was applied into equal splits at 20 DAS and 40 DAS according to the treatment schedule. The yield of grain and straw were recorded at maturity. Nitrogen content was determined by Kjeldahl method. Vanadate phosphomolybdate yellow colour method was followed for the determination of P in the acid extract. K was estimated in acid extract by a direct reading in flame photometer.

 

 

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Growth and yield attributes

The results revealed that all the fertilizer treatments showed significant increase in growth and yield components viz.  height, number of tillers per square meter, plant population per square meter, number of spikelet’s per spike and test weight at all the stage over control (Table 2). Among the different treatments, 50-75% of RDF were applied in combination with 25-50% N through organic source i.e. FYM, rice straw and green manure to rice (in kharif season) or even with 100% RDF to rice and wheat was found superior (T5, T6, T7, T8, T9 and T10). Overall, plant height (25.18 cm, 56.04 cm and 83.12 cm), number of tillers per square meter (215.67m-2, 242.67 m-2), number of spikelets per spike (36.46) and test weight (38.03 g) were recorded in treatment T5, T6 and T10 [100% RDF to both crop, 100% RDF + 50% N (FYM) to rice and 100% RDF to wheat and 50% RDF + 50% N(GM) to rice and 100% RDF to wheat].

 

Application of optimal dose of NPK along with organic source recorded highest value of yield attributes. This was perhaps due to abundant supply of plant nutrients, which is increase the protoplasmic constituents and accelerate the process of cell division and elongation. This is turn increase the values of all yield attributing parameters, which finally reflected in increased grain and straw yield (Table 3). By and large, the treatment involving organic sources and optimal dose of NPK was found superior by improving growth and yield attributes.


 

Table 1 : Details of the treatments in kharif and rabi seasons

Treatments

    Kharif (Rice)

Rabi (Wheat)

T1

No fertilizer, (N0 P0 K0) (control)                   

No fertilizer, (N0 P0 K0) (control)

T2

50% of recommended NPK fertilizers

50% of recommended NPK fertilizers

T3

50% of recommended NPK fertilizers                    

100% of recommended NPK fertilizers

T4

 75% of recommended NPK

75% of recommended NPK fertilizers

T5

 100% of recommended NPK fertilizers

100% of recommended NPK fertilizers

T6

50% of recommended NPK fertilizers + 50% N through FYM

100% of recommended NPK fertilizers

T7

75% of recommended NPK fertilizers + 25% N through FYM

75% of recommended NPK fertilizers 

T8

50% of recommended NPK fertilizers + 50% N through rice straw

100% of recommended NPK fertilizers

T9

75% of recommended NPK fertilizers

75% of recommended NPK fertilizers

T10

50% of recommended NPK fertilizers + 50% N through green manure

100% of recommended NPK fertilizers

T11

 75% of recommended NPK fertilizers

75% of recommended NPK fertilizers 

T12

Conventional farmers practice

(N50 P30 K20)

Conventional farmers practice

(N50 P30 K20)    

100% of recommended  dose of N P K for (i) Rice -80: 60 :40 kg ha-1 , (ii) Wheat -100 :50 :30 kg ha-1

 

 

Table 2: Effect of different treatments on growth and yield-contributing characters of wheat

Treatment

Plant Height (cm)

No. of tiller/ m2

No. of spikelet’s / spike

1000-grain weight

(g)

30 DAS*

60DAS

At Harvest

30 DAS

At Harvest

T1

17.93

44.69

68.80

151.33

194.67

27.74

33.76

T2

22.77

48.69

78.34

205.00

226.33

31.53

35.88

T3

23.21

51.66

80.51

203.67

230.67

30.63

37.14

T4

23.29

52.47

79.94

204.67

228.67

32.53

35.83

T5

24.03

56.04

81.44

212.00

237.33

34.45

37.88

T6

25.18

55.78

83.12

215.67

242.67

36.46

37.26

T7

23.42

52.95

80.83

212.33

230.67

30.79

35.45

T8

22.61

51.70

80.06

214.67

231.33

32.69

36.00

T9

20.88

49.17

79.76

208.00

226.33

31.47

35.08

T10

23.70

55.67

81.76

212.33

233.00

34.07

38.03

T11

22.78

52.34

79.84

206.67

226.67

31.85

37.16

T12

22.66

50.65

79.62

209.33

220.33

29.46

35.81

SEm ±           

0.62

1.47

0.51

3.62

3.25

0.74

0.61

CD (p=0.05)

1.83

4.30

1.48

10.62

9.54

2.18

1.8

*Days after sowing


YIELD:

Grain and straw yield:

Application of graded doses of NPK fertilizers significantly increased the crop yield. Significant higher yield of 21.85 q ha-1 (T10) which was found to be statistically at par with those recorded under T11 with yield level of 20.78 q ha-1 (Table 3). Straw yield also followed similar trend. Yield obtained with the application of 25% recommended N dose through any of the organic sources and the rest 75% NPK through fertilizers were at par with 100% recommended NPK (T5) except in case of yield under treatment T9 (i.e. 25% N through rice straw) which recorded lower yield (Table 3). This might have happened due to the release of plant nutrient in soil solution from the immobilized pool at the critical growth stage of wheat crop. This helped the crop to absorb more nutrients and put on better growth and gave higher yield. Moreover, better response was seen in wheat under the residual effect of INM treatments containing lower level of fertilizers.

 

NUTRIENT UPTAKE:

From the data (Table 3), it is evident that content and uptake of N was lowest in control where neither fertilizer nor manure have been applied. The lower uptake of N in control plots is due to lower yield obtained in these plots. Treatment of farmyard manure and green manure (T6 and T10) significantly higher N content and uptake than T5 (Table 3). Rice straw (T8 and T9) caused significantly lower content and uptake than T5. Favorable effect on FYM and green manure on N uptake is attributed to decreasing loss of released N during decomposition and their narrow C : N ratio (Bhandari et al. 1992).

 

Phosphorus content and uptake by wheat grain and straw was also significantly higher (Table 3) in plot receiving FYM (T6) and green manure application in kharif (T10) than plot receiving the wheat straw (T8).

 

Significant improvement in K content and uptake was noticed due to 50% NPK + 50% N through FYM to rice and 100% RDF to wheat (T6) and  50% NPK + 50% N through green manure to rice and 100% RDF to wheat (T10) as compared to NPK fertilizer alone (Table 3).

 

REFERENCES:

Singh, R.P., Subbiah, S.V. and Pilian. 1994. Summary: Rice-wheat cropping system trials being per used by the DRRW workshop at the PAU, Ludhiana, held during 30 August-2 September 1994.

 

Bhandari, A.L., Sood, Anil, Sharma, K.N. and Rana, D.S. 1992. Integrated nutrient management in rice –wheat system. Journal of the Indian Society of Soil Science. 40: 742-747.

 

Hegde, D.M. and Dwivedi, B.S. 1992. Nutrient management in rice-wheat cropping system in India. Fertilizer News.37: 27-41.

 

Table 3. Effect of different treatments on yield and nutrient uptake of wheat

Treat

Yield

(q ha-1)

N content

 (%)

N

uptake

Grain

straw

Grain

straw

Grain

straw

Total

T1

6.19

11.18

1.77

0.226

10.87

2.50

13.22

T2

14.74

21.49

1.98

0.291

28.99

6.21

35.20

T3

18.00

28.47

2.39

0.336

42.91

9.08

51.39

T4

18.62

30.42

2.25

0.372

41.67

11.21

52.89

T5

20.17

34.13

2.31

0.428

46.58

14.60

61.18

T6

19.39

32.96

2.44

0.453

47.19

14.93

62.12

T7

19.31

31.78

2.33

0.419

45.02

13.29

58.31

T8

20.48

31.03

2.28

0.411

46.48

12.75

59.33

T9

18.72

30.36

2.15

0.390

40.18

11.82

51.90

T10

21.85

35.10

2.37

0.424

51.91

14.85

66.76

T11

20.78

32.20

2.28

0.397

47.27

12.75

60.02

T12

14.88

24.93

1.94

0.380

28.73

9.44

38.17

SEm ±           

1.39

1.84

0.06

0.01

2.32

0.58

2.89

CD at 5%

3.79

5.41

0.08

0.03

6.79

1.72

6.72

 

Treat

P content

 (%)

P

uptake

K content

 (%)

K

uptake

Grain

straw

Grain

straw

Total

Grain

straw

Grain

straw

Total

T1

0.24

0.03

1.50

0.31

1.80

0.40

2.02

2.49

22.58

25.07

T2

0.28

0.05

4.08

1.51

5.23

0.41

2.17

6.10

45.48

51.57

T3

0.31

0.05

5.48

1.55

7.02

0.42

2.27

7.50

64.65

72.15

T4

0.30

0.07

5.76

2.00

7.76

0.43

2.29

7.92

69.38

77.30

T5

0.32

0.07

6.47

2.54

8.67

0.43

2.34

8.65

74.78

84.43

T6

0.32

0.09

6.19

2.88

9.07

0.45

2.42

8.63

79.43

88.06

T7

0.31

0.07

6.05

2.18

8.23

0.43

2.67

8.23

71.98

80.21

T8

0.31

0.07

6.35

2.17

8.51

0.43

2.23

8.74

69.15

77.88

T9

0.31

0.06

5.72

1.76

7.47

0.42

2.11

7.58

63.97

71.68

T10

0.32

0.08

6.93

2.76

9.69

0.43

2.31

9.39

76.56

85.95

T11

0.31

0.06

6.36

1.98

8.23

0.43

2.22

8.85

71.46

80.31

T12

0.28

0.06

4.18

1.57

5.75

0.42

2.20

5.98

54.35

60.67

SEm ±           

0.006

0.007

0.36

0.17

0.41

0.006

0.05

0.54

3.21

3.31

CD at 5%

0.02

0.016

1.06

0.51

1.20

0.018

0.16

1.57

9.41

9.70


Received on 19.11.2009

Accepted on 24.12.2009   

© A &V Publication all right reserved

Research J.  Science and Tech.  1(3): Nov. Dec. 2009: 100-102