Response of wheat to source, type and time of nitrogen application

No single source of nutrients can meet the needs of the agricultural lands for sustaining maximum crop and livestock productivity. Proper amount and time of fertilizer application is considered a key to the bumper crop. To study the response of wheat to type, source and time of N application, an experiment was conducted at Agriculture Research Institute, Tarnab, Peshawar during 2000-01. The experiment was laid out in randomized complete block design with 23 treatment combinations replicated four times. Two types of fertilizer N (NH4-N and NO3-N), plant residues (stover and legume), the combination of fertilizer N and plant residues and its application time (sowing and/or boot stage) were studied. Perusal of the data indicated that fertilized plots significantly increased1000 grain weight and grain yield. Inorganic sources of N enhanced spikes m-2, 1000 grain weight and grain yield as compared to organic source of N. The fertilizer application at sowing time increased spikes m-2 and grain yield than at boot stage. The application of fertilizer at the rate of 120 kg N per ha resulted in increased spike m-2, grain per spike, 1000 grain weight and grain yield. Split application of N fertilizer increased grain weight than single application. The mixture of cereal residue and N fertilizer increased spike m-2, 1000 grain weight and grain yield than sole application of cereal residue. 1000 grain weight increased when the plots received mixture of legume and N fertilizer compared to legume alone. The application of inorganic fertilizer alone resulted in increased spike m-2 and grain yield than mixture of inorganic fertilizer and cereal residue. Spike m-2 grain per spike and grain yield increased with application of inorganic fertilizer than mixture of inorganic N and legume residue.