EFFECT OF PLACEMENT OF UREA FERTILIZER ON THE YIELD OF WHEAT

Abstract

The experiment was canled out at the research field of Department of Agronomy, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka-1207. during November 2008 to March 2009 to study the response of wheat to urea fertilizer placement. The treatment consisted of T, = Prilled urea broadcasted, T2 = Prilled urea placed in furrow, 1 3 = Prilled urea placed between two rows of wheat, T4 = Prilled urea + seed in furrow. T 5 = Line sown seed + line placed Prilled urea. T(, = Line sown seed + Prilled urea given on soil of furrow, T 7 = Wheat seeds + urea super granule (US(3) in the same furrow at Scm distance, T it = USC placed in between two wheat lines at 8 cm distance. The experiment was set up in a randomized complete block design (RCB) with three replications. Placement of urea had significant effect on plant height, tillers plani1, above ground dry matter plani', length of spike, spikelet spike', 1000 grain weight, grain yield ha d , biological yield and harvest index of wheat. The highest grain yield (311 t had) of wheat was obtained from T3 (USC placed in between two wheat lines at 8 cm distance) treatment which indicates the superiority of urea super granules over prilled urea and the lowest grain yield (2.43 t hi') from 14 (Prilled urea + seed in furrow) treatment. Lower straw yield from T (USC placed in between two wheat lines at 8 cm distance) treatment indicated maximum partitioned of dry matter towards seed as reflected with higher value of harvest index (41 .gO%). The highest gross return ( 1k. 553109) hi', net return (Tk. 10624) hi' and benefit cost ratio (1.24) were also obtained from T 3 treatment. The second highest benefit cost ratio of 1.16 was obtained from 17 (Wheat seeds + urea super granule in the same furrow at 8 cm distance) treatment. The lowest benefit cost ratio (1.02) was obtained from T3 (Prilled urea placed between two rows of wheat) and 14 (Prilled urea + seed in furrow) treatments. The result of the experiment thus indicated that placement of USC in between two wheat rows at 8cm distance was superior method followed by prilled urea placement in between two rows of wheat and prilled urea + seed in furrows