EFFECT OF SOWING DEPTH AND POPULATION DENSITY ON GROWTH AND YIELD OF WHEAT

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted at the agronomy ticid of Shcr-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka during the Rabi season from November 2006 to March 2007 with the objectives to find out the influence of sowing depth and population density on growth and yield of wheat. The experiment was carried out in split-plot design with three replications having three sowing depths viz. 2 cm, 4 cm and 6 cm in main plot and 6 population densities viz. 100 seeds m 2 , 200 seeds m 2 . 300 seeds m 2 , 400 seeds m 2, 500 seeds m 2 and 600 seeds n1 7 in the sub plot. Result showed that sowing depth had significant influence on plant height at 30 DAS, weight of dry matter at 60 DAS, number of spikes m 2 , length of spike, number of grains spike±. grain yield and straw yield. Population densities had significant effect on plant height at 30 DAS, weight of dry matter at 30 DAS, number of spikes nf 2 , length of spike, number of grains spike'', grain yield, straw yield and harvest index. The result also revealed that 4 em sowing depth showed best performance in case of grain and straw yield. The highest grain yield (3.01 ha4 ) and straw yield (6.26 t lia) was obtained from 4 cm sowing depth. Ilighest grain yield (3.36 t haS') was also produced from 300 seeds m 2 treatment, whereas, 100 seeds m 2 treatment produced the lowest grain yield (2.29 t haj. The highest straw yield was observed with 400 seeds n1 2 and the lowest from 100 seeds m 2. The highest harvest index was recorded with 100 seeds ui 2 . Among the interaction treatments, the sowing depth of 2 cm and 300 seeds m 2 produced the highest grain yield of3.72tha'.