GRAIN YIELD OF NEWLY DEVELOPED WHEAT CULTIVAR (NARC 2011) AS ENHANCED BY FOLIAR APPLICATION OF HUMIC ACID UNDER RAINFED CONDITIONS

A newly developed wheat cultivar NARC 2011 was evaluated for physio- agronomic traits by varying Humic acid concentrations and Effective microbes at different phenological stages during rabi season of 2010-11 in the field area allocated to national coordinated wheat program of national agricultural research centre, Islamabad. The experiment was laid out using randomized complete block design (RCBD) for an assortment of growth and yield characters at various Humic acid concentrations and Effective microbe under rainfed conditions. There were six treatments and were replicated three times. Results revealed that E.M enhanced sub stomatal CO2 concentration in the flag leaf of mother shoot significantly, whereas for transpiration rate, spike length, number of spikelets spike^-1, flag leaf area and thousand seed weight, its effect but statistically at par. The highest grain yield of 3566 kg ha^-1 was achieved at N P (115:85 kg ha^-1) in combination with 3000 mL ha^-1 concentration of humic acid at tillering +flag leaf initiation +grain filling stages hence resulting in 30 percent greater yield than control (2747 kg ha^-1). Similarly the highest biological yield of 12667 kg ha^-1 was achieved at same level of NP in combination with 3000 mL ha^-1 concentration of humic acid at tillering +flag leaf initiation +grain filling stages hence resulting in 31 percent greater biological yield than control (9667 kg ha^-1). Hence in order to achieve higher biological and grain yield in rainfed regime, humic acid along with optimum recommended area specific NP levels depending up on soil nutritional status may be applied at appropriate phenological stages of wheat crop.