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Pak. J. Bot., 42(5): 3671-3685, 2010.

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PHENOLOGY, LEAF AREA INDEX AND GRAIN YIELD OF RAINFED WHEAT INFLUENCED BY ORGANIC AND INORGANIC FERTILIZER

SADUR REHMAN¹, SHAD K KHALIL¹, FIDA MUHAMMAD², ABDUR REHMAN¹, AMIR Z. KHAN¹, AMANULLAH¹, AHMADUR REHMAN SALJOKI³, MUHAMMAD ZUBAIR⁴ AND IFTIKHAR HUSSAIN KHALIL²

Abstract: Phenology, leaf area index and grain yield are the most important traits affected by fertilizer under rainfed condition. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of various levels of inorganic fertilizers (NPK) in combination with organic fertilizer in the form of farmyard manure (FYM) on phenology, leaf area index and grain yield of wheat under rainfed condition. Wheat variety Haider-2000 was planted during 2003-2004 and 2004-05 under rainfed condition at Cereal Crops Research Institute Pirsabak, KPK in randomized complete block (RCB) design with split plot arrangement replicated four times. Four levels of FYM (0, 15, 30 and 45 t ha^-1) were allotted to main plots, while nine combinations of NPK (0, 40-30-30, 40-30-60, 40-60-30, 40-60-60, 80-30-30, 80-30-60, 80-60-30 and 80-60-60 kg NPK ha^-1) were allotted to sub plots. Different levels of NPK and FYM alone or in combination had significant effect on tillers m^-2, days to 50% heading, days to maturity, leaf area index, plant height and grain yield. Maximum tillers m^-2 (330), days to 50 % heading (117), days to maturity (151.1), plant height (82.4) and grain yield (2505 kg ha^-1) were recorded at 80-60-60 kg NPK ha^-1. Maximum leaf area index (2.50) was recorded at 80-60-30 kg ha^-1, while minimum leaf area index (2.23) was found at low level of 40-30-30 kg NPK ha^-1. Farmyard manure at 45 t ha^-1 produced maximum tillers m^-2 (318), while maximum grain yield (2470 kg ha^-1) was recorded at 30 t FYM ha^-1. It is concluded that both inorganic and organic fertilizers alone or in combination increased grain yield and other parameters of wheat, however maximum grain yield was recorded at 80-60-60 kg NPK ha^-1 and 30t FYM ha^-1.

¹Department of Agronomy, ²Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics,³Department of Plant Protection, ⁴Department of Horticulture, KPK  Agricultural University, Peshawar, Pakistan.