Impact of tillage and mulching levels on the yield and yield components of wheat

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted during Rabi season 2016 at Bacha Khan Agriculture Research Farm (BARF), Bacha Khan University Charsadda, using wheat variety Pir Sabak 2013. The experiment was laid out in RCB design having two factors i.e. tillage practices (cultivator using 1 time, 3 times, and 5 times) and mulching (M₀-control, M₁-wheat straw, and M₂-sugarcane bagasse,). Tillage practices were applied to the main plots while mulching to the sub plots having 3 replications with a net plot size of 1.8m x 5m (9m²) and row to row distance of 30 cm. Data were recorded for days to emergence, plant height, spike length, 1000-grain weight and grain yield. Results of the experiment showed that both tillage practice and mulching has significant effect on almost all the parameters. Tillage showed significant variation for all of the parameters recorded during the course of study except days to emergence. Maximum emergence (199 seedlings m^-2), were attained by 1 time tillage application where maximum plant height (108 cm), maximum spike length (12 cm), maximum 1000-grain weight (45 g) and maximum grain yield (4717) were observed for 5 time tillage application. Similarly mulching application significantly affected all the parameters recorded during the course of experiment except days to emergence. Maximum plant height(110 cm), spike length (13 cm),1000-grain weight (44 g) and grain yield (5122 kg ha^-1) were recorded for M₁during the experiment. Overall, the combination of five times tillage and wheat mulching (M₁) provide its superiority in term of yield i.e. 4717 kg ha^-1 and 5122 kg ha^-1, respectively.

Keywords: Wheat; Tillage; Mulching; Growth; Yield

http://dx.doi.org/10.19045/bspab.2017.60015