Performance of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) varieties under different row spacing

A field experiment entitled” Performance of Bread Wheat (Triticum aestivum L) Varieties under different RowSpacing” was conducted at Instructional Farm, Rajasthan College of Agriculture, Udaipur during rabi 2010-11.The experiment consisted of 12 treatment combinations comprising of four spacing treatments (15.0, 17.5, 20.0and 22.5 cm) and three varieties (GW 322, GW 366 and HI 1544). The experiment was conducted in factorialrandomized block design and it was replicated four times. Results of field experiment revealed that among threewheat varieties grown, variety GW 366 recorded highest dry matter, Relative Growth Rate at 30-60 DAS, CropGrowth Rate at 60-90 DAS, Net Assimilation Rate at 60-90 DAS, number of total tillers, number of effective tillers,number of grains ears-1 and test weight. Maximum grain yield (4.77 t ha-1), straw yield (7.87 t ha-1) and biologicalyield (12.62 t ha-1) were recorded in variety GW 366 which is significantly higher over GW 322 and HI 1544.Variety GW 366 recorded significantly higher net returns (52813 Rs ha-1) and B C ratio (2.84) which was foundstatistically superior over HI 1544 (49097 Rs ha-1 and 2.64) and GW 322 (46350 Rs ha-1 and 2.49). Amongst rowspacing growing of wheat at 20.0 centimetre row spacing recorded highest dry matter, Relative Growth Rate,Crop Growth Rate, Net Assimilation Rate, total number of tillers, number of effective tillers and test weightover other row spacing. Row spacing of 20.0 centimetre gave significantly higher grain yield (4.85 t ha-1), strawyield (7.80 t ha-1 ), biological yield ( 12.65 t ha-1 ) where as harvest index was maximum under 22.5 centimetrerow spacing (38.80). Sowing of wheat at 20.0 centimetre row spacing recorded significantly higher net returns (Rs53750 ha-1) and BC ratio ( 2.89) over 15.0 cm and 17.5 centimetre while at par with 22.5 centimetre row spacing.