Integrated Effects of Irrigation Scheduling, Pusa Hydrogel, and Foliar Micronutrients on Yield Attributes of Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.)

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted to evaluate the integrated effects of irrigation scheduling, hydrogel levels and micronutrient management on barley yield attributes and development. A two-year field experiment was conducted during Rabi 2023-24 and 2024-25 at the Students’ Instructional Farm, Chandra Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture and Technology, Kanpur, India (subtropical Indo‑Gangetic alluvium; 125.9 m amsl; approx. 26°20′35″N & 80°18′35″E), to evaluate irrigation scheduling, pusa hydrogel, and foliar micronutrients on barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). A split-split plot experimental design was adopted with irrigation scheduling as the main factor (I₁- At active tillering and I₂- At flag leaf and milking stages), hydrogel levels as the sub-factor (H₁- Control, H₂- pusa hydrogel @2.5 kg ha-1 and H₃- pusa hydrogel @ 5.0 kg ha-1), and foliar micronutrients as the sub-sub-factor (M1- 100 % RDF, M2- 100 % RDF + 0.5 % Zn (foliar application at maximum vegetative stage and Pre flowering), M3- 100 % RDF + 0.25 % Cu (foliar application at maximum vegetative stage and Pre flowering) and M4-100 % RDF + 0.25 % Mn (foliar application at maximum vegetative stage and Pre flowering)).Recorded parameters included unproductive tillers m⁻², tiller mortality (%), ears hill⁻¹, ears m⁻², ear length (cm), days to 50 % flowering, grains ear⁻¹, grain weight ear⁻¹ (g), and 1000‑grain test weight (g) with pooled analysis across years and treatment comparisons using LSD at 5 % probability. Pooled results showed that irrigation I2- At Flag leaf stage & at Milking stage; H3- pusa hydrogel @ 5.0 kg ha-1 and M2-100 % RDF + 0.5 % Zn (foliar application at maximum vegetative stage and pre flowering) significantly improved yield attributes over other treatments respectively, increasing ears hill⁻¹ (7.30;7.31& 7.42), ears m⁻² (277.55 277.71 & 278.81), ear length (9.95 9.85 & 9.80 cm), total number of grains ear⁻¹ (41.36, 41.12 & 41.33), grain weight ear⁻¹ (1.57, 1.57 & 1.59g), and test weight (38.03, 38.19 & 38.45 g), while slightly extending days to 50 % flowering (93.83, 94.08 & 92.78 days) and raising unproductive tillers and tiller mortality modestly. Higher pusa hydrogel @ 5.0 kg ha-1 and 100 % RDF + 0.5 % Zn (foliar application at maximum vegetative stage and pre flowering) consistently enhanced reproductive traits and kernel metrics relative to controls, with the combination I2 × H3 × M2 emerging as the most suitable for maximizing barley yield attributes and development under the site conditions. Based on the findings, it is concluded that irrigation scheduling at the Flag leaf stage and Milking stage, combined with the application of Pusa hydrogel @ 5.0 kg ha⁻¹ and 100% RDF + 0.5% Zn (foliar application at maximum vegetative and pre-flowering stages), proved to be the most effective treatment. This combination significantly enhanced yield attributes and overall growth performance of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.).