Effect of tillage and nitrogen management on growth, yield and economics of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

During the Rabi season of 2023, a field experiment was conducted at the School of Agricultural Sciences, CPU, Kota (Rajasthan), aiming to evaluate wheat productivity under different tillage systems coupled with efficient nitrogen management practices. The experiment utilized a split-plot design with three replications, where the main plots included four tillage systems (zero tillage, minimum tillage, FIRB, and conventional tillage), and sub-plots consisted of four nitrogen levels (control, RDN, SPAD, and targeted yield of 5 t/ha), resulting in a total of 16 treatment combinations.

Among the tillage systems, conventional tillage showed significant improvements in various parameters such as plant height (95.13 cm), number of tillers per meter row length (372.26), dry matter accumulation per meter row length (109.7 g), tillers per square meter (73.4), seeds per ear (40.4), test weight (39.6 g), seed yield (4220 kg/ha), straw yield (6380 kg/ha), biological yield (10600 kg/ha), net return (60595 /ha), and benefit-cost ratio (1.95) compared to zero tillage and minimum tillage. Moreover, the application of recommended doses of nitrogen (RDN) at 120:80:55 kg/ha NPK significantly enhanced plant height (95.47 cm), number of tillers per meter row length (370.56), dry matter accumulation per meter row length (107.5 g), tillers per square meter (73.6), seeds per ear (40.7), test weight (41.4 g), seed yield (4185 kg/ha), straw yield (6326 kg/ha), biological yield (10511 kg/ha), net return (60715 /ha), and benefit-cost ratio (1.93) compared to control and SPAD  (80:60:50 kg/ha NPK). Overall, the findings underscore the importance of conventional tillage and efficient nitrogen management, particularly through recommended doses, in optimizing wheat productivity and economic returns. These results provide valuable insights for wheat cultivation practices aimed at enhancing yield and profitability in agricultural systems.