Organic and Inorganic Fertilizers Increase Wheat Yield Components and Biomass Under Rainfed Condition

The aim of this study was to determine whether modification to currently recommended inorganic fertilizers application (NPK) in combination with organic fertilizers in the form of farmyard manure (FYM) can improve wheat yield components and biomass under rainfed condition. Field trials were conducted during 2003-04 and 2004-05 under rainfed conditions at Cereal Crops Research Institute Pirsabaq, NWFP, Pakistan. Nine different combinations of NPK (control, 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 ha-1 and four different levels of FYM (control, 15, 30 and 45 t ha-1) using a wheat variety (Haider-2000) were studied. Experiment was laid out in randomized complete block (RCB) design with split plot arrangement replicated four times. FYM was allotted to main plots while combinations of NPK were applied to subplots. Different levels of NPK and FYM alone or in combination had significant effect on emergence m-2, spikes m-2, grains spike-1, biological yield (kg ha-1) and thousand grain weight. Maximum emergence m-2 (83.5), grains spike-1 (55.8) thousand grain weight (35.16) and biological yield (10008 kg ha-1) were recorded at 80-60-60 NPK ha-1. Maximum spikes m-2 (201.6) were recorded at 80-60-30 kg NPK ha-1. Farmyard manure at 45 t ha-1 produce the maximum spikes m-2 (191.2), grains spike-1 (54.4), thousand grain weight (34.69) and biological yield (10000 kg ha-1), while no significance difference was recorded for these parameters between 30 and 45 t FYM ha-1. It is concluded that 80-60-60 kg NPK ha-1 and 30 t FYM ha-1 have produced maximum wheat yield components and biomass under rainfed condition. Key Words: FYM, NPK, biomass, wheat