EFFECT OF FOLIAR APPLICATION OF SA ON YIELD ANDYIELD CONTRIBUTING CHARACTERS OF Triticum aestivum (BARI GOM 27)

Abstract

The experiment was conducted to study effect of different levels of SA (SA) on yield and yield attributes of Triticum aestivum (BARI Gom 27). The experiment included four levels of SA viz. 0 ~M. 200 ~M. 500 ~M and 1000 ~M SA. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design having 7 treatments with three replications. The treatment combinations were as follows: T, = No recommended irrigation + 0 flM SA. T~ = recommended irrigation + 0 flM SA. T, = No recommended irrigation + 200 u M SA. TJ = recommended irrigation + 200 uM SA. T5= No recommended irrigation + 500 flM SA, T.= recommended irrigation + 500 flM SA and T7 = recommended irrigation + 1000 u M SA. The results revealed that yield and yield contributing characters were significantly influenced by the foliar application of SA. The maximum plant height (85.17 ern) was obtained from the T, treatment and spike length (14.80 em) was obtained from the T7 treatment. The maximum number of effective tillers per m' (297.67), maximum number of grains/spike (42.03), maximum filled grains/spike (39.9), highest 1000 grain weight (56 g), highest grain yield (4.23 t/ha) and straw yield (5.20 r/ha) were found in the treatment T7. The lowest unfilled grains/spike (2.13) was obtained from the T, treatment. On the other hand. in all cases minimum results were observed in the control treatment (T,). The results showed that grain yield of wheat increased with increasing level of SA up to 1000 u M with recommended irrigations. The yield increasing trend was also observed in the treatments having SA with no recommended irrigations (T,. T" T,). These results might be due to the foliar application of SA because SA improves the water use efficiency through the reduction of stomatal aperture. The aphid infestation of wheat was completely removed by the foliar application of higher doses of SA (1000 fl M). Our results indicated that drought stress regulatory mechanisms could be improved in wheat through the foliar spray of SA. Taken together, it can be concluded that the recommended irrigations with foliar application of SA could be applied to increase wheat yield.