Effect of tillage practices and cultivars on growth and biomass production of wheat (Triticum Aestivum L.)

A field experiment was conducted to study the effect of tillage practices and wheat cultivars on growth and biomass production during Rabi 2002–03 at Rajendra Agricultural University, Pusa (Samastipur), Bihar. Four tillage practices viz., conventional method, bed planting, surface seeding and zero tillage, and four wheat cultivars viz.. HD-2643, HUW-468, PBW-443 and PBW373, were studied with respect to various aspects of growth and biomass (grain and straw yield) production. Significantly higher grain yield of wheat was recorded with bed planting (40 8 q/ha) which was at par with conventional method (37.3 q/ha). Zero tillage recorded almost equal yield to that of conventional method. The pattern of straw yield and grain straw yield was similar to grain yield. Among wheat cultivars, HUW-468 exhibited superiority in biomass yield followed by PBW-373 Growth attributes were higher in the order of bed planting >conventional method > zero tillage.