Effect of sowing methods, scheduling of irrigation based on IW/CPE ratio and chemical weed control on plant height, dry matter accumulation and yield of wheat

An experiment was conducted during two consecutive rabi seasons of 2013-14 and 2014-15 at Udaipur (Raj.). The experiment consisted of three IW/CPE ratios (0.8, 1.0 and 1.2), three sowing methods (line sowing, crisscross sowing and FIRB) and three weed control (weedy check, sulfosulfuron + metsulfuron (RM) and isoproturon + 2, 4-D (TM) at 35 DAS) measures, making twenty seven treatment combinations. These treatments were replicated thrice in split-plot design having IW/CPE ratios in main plots and sowing methods and weed control in sub-plots. IW/CPE ratio at 1.0 recorded significant increase in plant height, dry mater accumulation at 60, 90 and harvest and yield of wheat. Both these treatments increase grain yield by 10.60 and 12.68, straw yield by 8.23 and 11.34 and biological yield by 9.19 and 11.88 per cent, respectively over IW/CPE ratio at 08. Under the different sowing methods maximum plant height and dry matter accumulation at successive growth stages was recorded with criss cross method which ultimately increase the yield of wheat over line sowing but remained at par with FIRB system. Combination of herbicide [sulfosulfuron + metsulfuron (RM) and isoproturon + 2, 4-D (TM)] significantly increased plant height, dry matter accumulation and yield over weedy check. The magnitude of increase was 24.06 and 21.81 in grain, 22.73 and 21.76 in straw and 23.28 and 21.78 per cent in biological yield over weed chek.