PERFORMANCE OF WHEAT (Triticum aestivum) UNDER DIFFERENT MULTIPURPOSE TREES AS AGROFORESTRY SYSTEM

Abstract

A field experiment was carried out at the agroforestry research field, Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University (HSTU), Dinajpur, during November 2012 to March 2013 to evaluate the performance of wheat under 3 multipurpose tree species in Agroforestry system. The experiment was laid out following a single factor Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with 3 replications. The unit plot size was 2.5 m×2.5 m (6.25 m2). The treatments were as T1 = Wheat sole cropping (Control), T2 = Wheat + Kalo koroi based Agroforestry, T3 = Wheat + Mango based Agroforestry and T4 = Wheat + Guava based Agroforestry. The results of the research showed that the effect of different production system had significant response in growth parameter in respect of plant height, stem height, number of eaves, leaf length and breadth, total tiller leaf dry weight and stem dry weight at 30, 60 and 90 DAS. At 30 days after sowing (DAS) significantly the highest plant height (12.65 cm) was found in wheat + Guva based agroforestry system and the lowest plant height (12.40 cm) was recorded in T1 i.e. wheat production in sole cropping system. At 90 DAS the highest plant height (97.58 cm) was observed in T4 (wheat + Guava based production system) while the lowest plant height (90.23) was found in wheat production in sole cropping. Significantly the highest grain yield (2.93 t/ha) was recorded in T1 (wheat sole cropping production system) and the lowest grain yield (2.04 t/ha) was found in T4 (wheat + Guava based agroforestry system), respectively. From the results it is clear that open field is very good for wheat production but among the Agroforestry systems Kalo koroi based Agroforestry system was the best for wheat cultivation.