Effect of tillage, organic manures and fertilizer doses on productivity, profitability and quality of wheat (Triticum aestivum) under mid-hill conditions of Himachal Pradesh

KHUSHBOO RANA; JANARDAN SINGH; SHILPA MANHAS

doi:10.59797/ija.v64i3.5285

Authors

KHUSHBOO RANA
JANARDAN SINGH
SHILPA MANHAS

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.59797/ija.v64i3.5285

Keywords:

Fertilizer, Organic manures, Productivity, Profitability, Quality, Tillage, Wheat

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted during the winter (rabi) season of 2015-16 and 2016-17 at Palampur, Himachal Pradesh, to study the effect of tillage, organic manures and fertilizer doses on wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). The experiment was laid out in split-plot design with 3 replications. There were 6 main-plots, consisting of combinations of 3 tillage (zero tillage, minimum tillage and conventional tillage) and 2 organic manures (vermicompost @ 5 t/ha and FYM @ 10 t/ha) treatments, and 3 subplots with 3 fertilizer doses (50, 75 and 100% recommended dose of fertilizers). Significantly higher values of effective tillers/m2, ear length, filled grains/ear, 1,000-grain weight, grain, straw and biological yields, harvest index, gross and net returns, benefit: cost and profitability were recorded under conventional tillage followed by minimum tillage. Application of 100% followed by 75% recommended dose of fertilizers recorded significantly higher effective tillers/m2, ear length, spikelets/ear, total number of grains, 1,000-grain weight, harvest index and protein content. The highest grain (2.7 t/ha), straw and biological yields, productivity (15.59 kg/ha/day) and gross returns (61.56 103 /ha) were recorded with the application of vermicompost @ 5 t/ha. Application of recommended dose of fertilizers resulted in the highest grain (2.88 t/ha), straw and biological yields, gross returns (65.05 103 /ha), net returns (26.28 103 /ha), benefit: cost (1.65) and profitability (151.85 /ha/day). Minimum tillage, vermicompost @ 5 t/ha and 100% recommended dose of fertilizers proved to be the best economical treatment for enhancing productivity, profitability and quality of wheat.

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