INFLUENCE OF TIME OF IRRIGATION AND DIFFERENT MULCH MATERIALS ON GROWTH AND YIELD OF WHEAT

Abstract

An experiment was carried out in Agronomy field of Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka to find out the performance of wheat (BARI Gom 27) as affected by time of irrigation and different mulch materials during the winter season of 2015-2016. Four levels of irrigation viz. control, one irrigation at CRI (crown root initiation) stage, one irrigation at flowering stage and two irrigations each at CRI + flowering stage; and four different mulch materials viz. control, rice straw, rice husk and plastic sheets were used as treatment variables. The experiment was laid out in a split plot design with three replications, assigning irrigation to main plot and mulch materials to sub plots. Results showed that time of irrigation and different mulch materials had significant effect on different plant characters, yield and yield components of wheat. Irrigating wheat up to two irrigations given at CRI + flowering stage resulted in significantly higher plant height, spike length, dry weight plant -1 , number of spikelets spike ii -1 , number of grains spike 1000 grain weight, grain yield, straw yield and harvest index over one irrigation and unirrigated control. The difference in yield and yield parameters were also significant due to mulch materials. The use of black plastic mulch gave significantly higher grain yield of wheat over rest of the mulch materials. The combined effect of irrigation and mulch materials on grain yield and straw yield were significant. The highest grain yield (4.15 t ha -1 ) and straw yield (4.25 t ha obtained with two irrigations at CRI + flowering stage using black plastic mulch. The results revealed that growing of wheat with two irrigations at CRI and flowering stage using black plastic sheet as mulch might be beneficial for achieving higher productivity.