RESPONSE OF WHEAT (Triticum aestivum L.) VARIETIES TO SOWING METHOD AND FERTILIZER TREATMENTS

RESPONSE OF WHEAT (Triticum aestivum L.) VARIETIES TO SOWING METHOD AND FERTILIZER TREATMENTS

ABSTRACT

Field experiments were conducted in 2014/2015 and 2015/2016 dry seasons at the Research Farm of the Institute for Agricultural Research, Samaru and Kadawa to study the response wheat varieties to sowing method and fertilizer treatment. The treatments consisted of three varieties (LACRIWHIT-1, LACRIWHIT-4 and LACRIWHIT-5), two sowing methods (broadcasting and drilling) and four fertilizer (zero fertilizer control, NPK at 120 kg N, 60 kg P2O5 and 60 kg K2O ha-1, Farmyard Manure at 10 t ha-1 and combination of NPK (60kg N, 30 kg P2O5 and 30 kg K2O ha-1) and FYM (5 t ha-1)). The treatments were laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design and replicated three times. Growth attributes such as plant height, number of tillers, number of leaves and crop dry matter varied significantly among the varieties at different sampling periods and were generally found to be higher in LACRIWHIT-5 than LACRIWHIT-1 and 4. The variety LACRIWHIT-5 was superior to LACRIWHIT-1 and 4 in most yield attributes such as number of spike m-2, spike length, weight of grain spike-1, 1000-grain weight and total biomass at harvest. However, LACRIWHIT-1 and 4 headed, flowered and matured earlier. LACRIWHIT-1 had higher grain protein (12.28 and 12.59 %) and gluten content (9.73 and 9.66 %). Growth parameters such as stand count, number of tillers, number of leaves, leaf area, crop dry matter, CGR, RGR, NAR, days to maturity and effective tillers were significantly affected by sowing method with drill sowing giving higher values in most cases than broadcast. Drill sowing also significantly increased yield components such as number of spike m-2, number of grains per spike, and grain weight as well as grain yield and grain moisture content. Fertilizer application significantly increased growth parameters such as plant height, number of tillers, number of leaves and crop dry matter, crop growth rate and hastened days to 50% heading, flowering and maturity. High stand count, taller plants and more tillers were obtained resulting from application of NPK alone or in combination with FYM than control treatment. Fertilizer application increased tiller production which directly influence leaf number and LAI of the crop.Days to 50 % heading, flowering and maturity was relatively earlier in the fertilized plots compared to the unfertilized ones. Yield components such as spike length, spike m-2, 1000-grain weight, grain per spike and higher biomass yield of wheat were influenced by fertilizer application. From the study, highest yield was obtained with the application of NPK alone or in combination with FYM followed by FYM alone and the least was in the unfertilized control. Positive and significant correlation was observed between grain yield and most growth and yield components of wheat. These include plant height, number of tillers m-2, LAI, crop dry matter, CGR, spike m-2, spike length, spikelets spike-1, number of grains spike-1, weight of grains spike-1, 1000 grain weight, total biomass and harvest index. Also, LAI significantly and positively correlated to CGR and RGR. The relationships between grain yield and days to 50% flowering, heading and maturity was negative. Similarly, correlation between number of grains spike-1 and 1000 grain weight was negative. In the path coefficient analysis, total biomass production had both the greatest direct effect and contributed more to grain yield followed by harvest index. The highest positive indirect contribution was from crop dry matter via weight of grain spike-1 as well as number of tillers m-2 via total biomass at Samaru and from weight of grain spike-1 via total biomass at Kadawa. The low residual values obtained in study suggest that the major characters contributing to the grain yield of wheat were measured. It was realized that only 1.2%, 38.70% and 34.37% at Samaru while at Kadawa 11.54%, 6.0% and 7.35% of the variability remain unaccounted in 2014/2015, 2015/2016 and their combined mean respectively. The partial economic analysis revealed that, at both locations application of combined NPK and FYM to drilled LACRIWHIT-5 resulted in the highest gross margin and profit per naira (₦) invested. The lowest gross margin came from broadcast LACRIWHIT-1 sown unfertilized followed by LACRIWHIT-5 under same treatment. Based on the findings of this study, it could be concluded that LACRIWHIT-5 was superior to LACRIWHIT-4 and LACRIWHIT-1 in most growth, yield attributes and yield while LACRIWHIT-1 produced more grain protein and gluten content than LACRIWHIT-4 and 5. Drill sowing was better than broadcast in terms of most growth, yield attributes and yield. Combined application of NPK (60kg N, 30 kg P2O5 and 30 kg K2O ha-1) and FYM (5 t ha-1) or full dose of NPK (NPK at 120kg N, 60 kg P2O5 and 60 kg K2O ha-1,) gave the highest grain yield. Therefore, drill sowing of variety LACRIWHIT-5 with application of either combined NPK (60kg N, 30 kg P2O5 and 30 kg K2O ha-1) and FYM (5 t ha-1) or full rate of NPK (NPK at 120kg N, 60 kg P2O5 and 60 kg K2O ha-1,) is suggested but economically, grain yield was best at the combination of NPK and FYM to drill sown LACRIWHIT-5.

RESPONSE OF WHEAT (Triticum aestivum L.) VARIETIES TO SOWING METHOD AND FERTILIZER TREATMENTS