Effect of Irrigation Scheduling on the Growth and Yield Performance of Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Varieties

Abstract

Efficient irrigation scheduling and appropriate varietal selection are essential for sustaining wheat productivity under limited water availability. A field experiment was conducted during the Rabi season of 2018–2019 at the Agronomy Research Farm, Acharya Narendra Deva University of Agriculture and Technology, Kumarganj, Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, to evaluate the influence of irrigation scheduling on the growth and yield of wheat varieties. The experiment comprised 12 treatment combinations involving three irrigation schedules (0.6, 0.9, and 1.2 IW/CPE ratios) and four wheat varieties (HD-2285, NW-1067, Kundan, and Unnat Halna), arranged in a split-plot design with three replications. An irrigation depth of 60 mm was applied at each irrigation. Growth and yield parameters were recorded and statistically analysed. Irrigation scheduling significantly affected wheat growth, yield attributes, and yield. Irrigation at 1.2 IW/CPE produced the highest plant height, dry-matter accumulation (992.60 g m⁻²), leaf area index, tiller density, spike density, spike length, grains per spike, straw yield, and grain yield (42.87 q ha⁻¹). However, its grain yield was statistically comparable with that obtained at 0.9 IW/CPE (41.91 q ha⁻¹), while 0.6 IW/CPE produced 34.73 q ha⁻¹. Among the varieties, HD-2285 recorded the highest grain yield (43.16 q ha⁻¹) and straw yield (58.95 q ha⁻¹), whereas Kundan recorded the lowest grain yield (36.92 q ha⁻¹). The findings indicate that HD-2285 performed best under the experimental conditions and that 0.9 IW/CPE achieved grain yield comparable with 1.2 IW/CPE.