Response of different types of wheat genotypes to varying levels of nitrogen in a variety of environments

Introduction

Wheat (Triticum aestivum) is one of the most important staple food crops globally and plays a central role in ensuring food security. However, its productivity is highly influenced by agronomic practices and environmental conditions, particularly sowing time, varietal selection, and nutrient management. In many wheat-growing regions, especially in North-Western India, delayed sowing due to preceding crop harvests exposes the crop to temperature stress, resulting in reduced tillering, shortened growth duration, and significant yield losses. Previous studies have consistently reported that late sowing leads to poor crop establishment and lower grain yield due to exposure to terminal heat stress during the reproductive stage (Ortiz-Monasterio et al., 2005; Prasad et al., 2017) [, 14] . In addition, the choice of wheat genotype plays a vital role in determining yield stability under varying sowing environments, as different varieties respond differently to heat stress and growth duration constraints. Nitrogen management further influences crop performance by enhancing vegetative growth and yield attributes when applied at optimal levels. Earlier research has also demonstrated that integrated management practices involving timely sowing, suitable cultivars and balanced nitrogen application can substantially improve wheat productivity under diverse agro-climatic conditions (Coventry et al., 2011; Kesarwani et al., 2018) [, 11] . Therefore, the present investigation is undertaken to evaluate the combined effect of sowing time, nitrogen levels, and wheat genotypes on growth, phenology, and yield performance, with the aim of identifying suitable management strategies for achieving higher and more stable wheat productivity under variable environmental conditions.

Objectives

 To study the effect of sowing time and nitrogen levels on growth, phenology, yield attributes, and yield of wheat genotypes.  To find out the interactive effect of genotypes, nitrogen levels, and sowing times.  To compute the economics of different treatments.

Materials and Methods

Experimental Site and Location

The experiment was conducted during the 'Rabi' seasons of 2023-24 and 2024-25 at the Research Farm of the Department of Agronomy, Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, Haryana (India). It is situated at 29°10′ N latitude and 75°46′ E longitude at an elevation of 215.2 m above mean sea level.

Climate and Weather

Hisar experiences a semi-arid climate with hot, dry winds in summer, very cold winters, and humid monsoon conditions.

Maximum temperatures reach up to 48°C in May-June, while minimum temperatures can drop below 0°C in December-January. The area receives about 450 mm annual rainfall, 70-80% of which occurs during July-September, with the rest from occasional cyclonic showers. Relative humidity ranges from 75-90% during July-March and declines to 40-50% in summer, with annual averages of about 80% (morning) and 44% (evening). Vapour pressure varies from 7-12 mm in dry months to 20-22 mm during monsoon, with annual averages around 14.7 mm (morning) and 14.4 mm (evening). Bright sunshine averages 6.9 hours/day, highest in April (9.3 h) and lowest in July (6.1 h), while wind speed averages 5.5 km h⁻¹, being higher in summer and lower in winter. Meteorological data recorded during wheat seasons (2023-24 and 2024-25) at CCS HAU, Hisar showed that maximum temperature ranged from 30.5-31. Mean weekly morning and evening relative humidity ranged from 96.6-66.7% and 46.3-21.5% in 2023-24, and 88-50% and 33-14% in 2024-25. Sunshine hours varied from 1.0-4.8 hours (2023-24) and 6.0-8.4 hours (2024-25). Wind speed ranged from 1.3-3.6 km/hr and 3.0-6.6 km/hr, respectively. Total rainfall was 63.2 mm in 2023-24 and 30.9 mm in 2024-25.

Physico-chemical Properties of Soil

The soil of the experimental site was sandy loam in texture, slightly alkaline in reaction (pH 8.3), low in organic carbon (0.32%) and available nitrogen (120 kg ha⁻¹), medium in available phosphorus (19.7 kg ha⁻¹), and high in available potassium (253 kg ha⁻¹).

Experimental Details

The experiment was conducted in a split-split plot design with 3 replications and 45 treatment combinations. Main plots included sowing times: S1 (1 st -10 th November), S2 (20 th -30 th November) and S3 (15 th -25 th December). Sub-plots consisted of nitrogen levels: N1 (125 kg ha⁻¹), N2 (150 kg ha⁻¹), and N3 (175 kg ha⁻¹). Sub-sub plots included wheat genotypes: G1 (WH 1105), G2 (WH 1270), G3 (WH 1124), G4 (DBW 222) and G5 (HD 3369). Plot size was 2.40 m × 8.00 m (gross 19.20 m²) and 1.60 m × 7.00 m (net 11.20 m²).

Cultural Operations

Sowing was done manually by 'pora' method at 5 cm depth on different dates. Half N, full P₂O₅, K₂O and ZnSO₄ were applied basally, while remaining N was top-dressed at first irrigation. S1, S2 and S3 received 5, 4 and 3 irrigations respectively. Harvesting was done manually and threshing by mini plot thresher. Dry matter accumulation at 30, 60, 90, 120 DAS and at maturity was highest under early sowing (1 st -10 th November) and lowest under late sowing (15 th -25 th December) during both years. At 30 DAS, early sowing recorded 4.8 and 4.6 g m⁻¹, while late sowing recorded 4.2 and 4.4 g m⁻¹. At 60 DAS, it was 54.5 and 52.4 g m⁻¹ under early sowing and 38.8 and 36.9 g m⁻¹ under late sowing. At 90 DAS, values were 170.2 and 169.7 g m⁻¹ (early) and 145.2 and 140.6 g m⁻¹ (late). At 120 DAS, early sowing recorded 404.8 and 400.7 g m⁻¹, whereas late sowing recorded 317.3 and 313.5 g m⁻¹. At maturity, dry matter accumulation was highest in early sowing (408.5 and 403.7 g m⁻¹) and lowest in late sowing (320.9 and 319.5 g m⁻¹), with intermediate values in 20 th -30 th November sowing throughout both years.

Conclusion

The study concludes that sowing time is a critical factor for achieving higher wheat productivity. Early sowing (1 st -10 th November) resulted in significantly better growth parameters, including plant height and dry matter accumulation compared to late sowing (15 th -25 th December). Among nitrogen levels, the application of 175 kg N ha⁻¹ was found to be the most effective, although it was often statistically at par with 150 kg N ha⁻¹, suggesting that 150 kg N ha⁻¹ can be an optimal dose for latesown conditions to balance yield and economics.

References

1. Ahmed G, Ishaq M, Khan S, Ali R, Afridi K, Khalil IA, et al. Performance of newly developed wheat advanced lines evaluated under different planting dates for important traits. Eur Acad Res. 2015;2(10):12598-12614.
2. Alam MP, Kumar S, Ali N, Manjhi RP, Kumari N, Lakra RK, et al. Performance of wheat varieties under different sowing dates in Jharkhand. J Wheat Res. 2013;5(2):61-64.
3. Ali A, Syed AAW, Khaliq T, Asif M, Aziz M, Mubeen M. Effects of nitrogen on growth and yield components of wheat. J Biol Sci. 2011;3(6):1004-1005.
4. Amrawat T, Solanki NS, Sharma SK, Jajoria DK, Dotaniya ML. Phenology, growth and yield of wheat in relation to agrometeorological indices under different sowing dates. Afr J Agric Res. 2013;8(49):6366-6374.
5. Ansary AH, Khushak AM, Sethar MA, Ariam NA, Emon YM. Effect of sowing dates on growth and yield of wheat cultivars. Pak J Sci Ind Res. 2013;4(32):39-42.
6. Ayadi S, Jallouli S, Chamekh Z, Zouari I, Landi S, Hammami Z, et al. Variation of grain yield, grain protein content and nitrogen use efficiency components under different nitrogen rates in Mediterranean durum wheat genotypes. Agriculture. 2022;12(7):916-916.
7. Bhardwaj V, Yadava V, Chauhan BS. Effect of nitrogen application timings and varieties on growth and yield of wheat grown on raised beds. Arch Agron Soil Sci. 2010;56(2):211-222.
8. Gheith EMS, El-Badry OZ, Wahid SA. Sowing dates and nitrogen fertilizer levels effect on grain yield and its components of different wheat genotypes. Res J Agric Biol Sci. 2013;9(5):176-181.
9. Jat RK, Singh P, Jat ML, Dia M, Sidhu HS, Jat SL, et al. Heat stress and yield stability of wheat genotypes under different sowing dates across agro-ecosystems in India. Field Crops Res. 2018;2(18):33-50.
10. Kaur A, Pannu RK, Buttar GS. Impact of nitrogen application on the performance of wheat (Triticum aestivum) and nitrogen use efficiency under different dates of sowing. Indian J Agron. 2010;55(1):40-45.
11. Kesarwani A, Singh VP, Kumar R, Pandey DS. Improving the lodging losses in wheat crop using growth regulators. In: Proceedings of National Agronomy Congress, Pantnagar; 2018. p.135-136.
12. Mukherjee D. Effect of different sowing dates on growth and yield of wheat (Triticum aestivum) cultivars under mid hill situation of West Bengal. Indian J Agron. 2012;57(2):152-156.
13. Osmani MH, Fazily T, Koshani B, Mirzaee M. Comparison of adaptation assessment of four local spring varieties in Kabul climatic condition. Int J Res Dev. 2020;5(1):21-23.
14. Prasad S, Agrawal KK, Kumar R, Prakash V. Heat unit requirement of wheat cultivars under varying thermal regimes at Jabalpur. J Agrometeorol. 2017;19(3):283-285.
15. Qasim M, Qamer M, Faridullah, Alam M. Sowing dates effect on yield and yield components of different wheat varieties. J Agric Res. 2008;46(2):135-140.