INFLUENCE OF COWDUNG TO WATER STRESS MANAGEMENT IN WHEAT

Abstract

An experiment was conducted in the net house of the Agronomy department, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka 1207 during the period from November 2018 to March 2019 to select the optimum dose of cow dung to manage water stress in wheat. The experiment was comprised of three factors viz. factor A: Variety- 2; i) V 1 = BARI Gom-28, ii) V 2 = BARI Gom-30; factor B: Cow dung doses- 5, i) C 0 = Recommended dose of chemical fertilizers (RDCF) + Control (Without cow dung), ii) C 1 = RDCF + 25% less cow dung of recommended dose, C 2 = RDCF + Recommended dose of cow dung, C 3 = RDCF + 25% higher cow dung of recommended dose and C 4 = RDCF + 50% higher cow dung of recommended dose; factor C: Water stress imposition by avoiding irrigation- 4; i) D 0 = Control (without Water stress), i) D 1 = Crown root initiation stage, ii) D 2 = Booting stage, iii) D 3 = Anthesis stage. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. Data were collected on different aspects of yield attributes and yield of wheat. Results revealed that BARI Gom-30 gave the highest grain yield (5.73 g plant ). This may be attributed to the highest number of effective tillers plant (4.76), spike length (10.56 cm), spikelets spike −1 (15.01) and 1000-grains weight (46.67 g) in this variety. Considering cow dung application, C 4 (RDCF + 50% higher cow dung of recommended dose) was the highest grain yielder (5.72 g plant ) than other doses which may perhaps the highest effective tillers plant (5.60), spike length (10.82 cm), spikelet spike −1 (15.80), grains spikelet ii −1 −1 −1 −1 −1 (1.98), grains spike

(30.92) and 1000-grains weight (49.19 g) in this treatment. In respect of Water stress imposition treatments, grain yield was found the highest in control treatment (without imposition of Water stress stress) and that of second highest was recorded in Water stress imposition at booting stage treatment (D 2 ). Regarding the interaction of variety, cow dung and Water stress imposition, the interaction of BARI Gom-30 × RDCF + 50% higher cow dung of recommended dose × without Water stress imposition (V₂C₄D₀) was the highest yielder among the other interactions which was attributed to higher effective tillers plant , spike length, spikelet spike −1 and 1000-grains weight, but interaction of V₂C₄D₂ may be suggested in case of water limited situation; as this interaction showed statistically similar and higher yield with V₂C₄D₀ interactions.