GROWTH, YIELD AND NUTRIENT UPTAKE OF VARIOUS WHEAT CULTIVARS UNDER DIFFERENT FERTILIZER REGIMES

Fertilizer use and management is of crucial importance in irrigated production systems of Pakistan to achieve high yield, which leads to an extensive removal of essential nutrients. Three wheat varieties (TD-1, T.J-83 and Mehran-89) were treated with nine levels of fertilizer (0-0-0, 60-60-00, 60-60-30, 120-60-00, 120-60-60, 180- 60-00, 180-60-90, 240-60-00 and 240-60-120 NPK kg ha^-1) were set in randomized complete block design. Fertilizer application significantly enhanced growth, yield and nutrient uptake traits of wheat. Application of 120- 60-60 NPK kg ha^-1 to TD-1 recorded maximum tillers, spike length, grains spike^-1, biological yield, grain yield, harvest index, dry matter, leaf area index, crop growth rate and NPK uptake. Further increase in NPK rate had a non-significant response on these traits. However, application of 180-60-60 NPK kg ha^-1 or higher fertilizer regimes produced tall plants, maximum nodes stem^-1, internode length, grain weight spike^-1, seed index, prolonged maturity days and higher lodging tendency in Mehran-89 and TJ-83.