EFFECT OF RATE AND APPLICATION TIME OF POTASSIUM ON GROWTH AND YIELD OF WHEAT

Abstract

Efficient management of nutrients is a key component of the most effective agricultural strategies to achieve maximum crop yield. Continuous utilization of high-yielding cultivars and intensive cropping techniques has led to a potassium deficiency. Furthermore, the imbalanced use of nutrients, particularly potassium (K), has resulted in persistent depletion from agricultural soils. To address this issue, a field experiment was conducted to determine the influence of different potassium levels under a split application on yield and yield attributes of wheat crops. The study was conducted at the Crop Physiology and Ecology Research Field, Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University (HSTU), Dinajpur, Bangladesh, from November, 2022 to April, 2023. The experiment used a randomized complete block design with three replications. Five K levels (0, 60, 80, 100 and 120 kg ha-1) and different K application timings, whole dose (Basal) at sowing, equal doses at sowing+ 30 DAS, half dose at sowing+ equal doses at 30 +60 DAS and equal doses at sowing+30+60+ 90 DAS). The findings of the study revealed that potassium levels and their application times substantially influenced yield and yield components of wheat. The maximum plant height at different days, number of tillers per plant, spike length, grains per spike, thousand grain weight, yield per hill, biological yield and harvest index and minimum number of days to flowering, maturity and straw yield was recorded from 80 kg K/ha, and half dose at sowing+ equal doses at 30 +60 DAS treatment in most of the cases although 120 kg K/ha gave best result in few cases. Among the combined application, the 80 kg K/ha and half dose at sowing+ equal doses at 30 +60 DAS gave the best performance among the treatment combinations. The study revealed that optimum application of potassium in a splitting method significantly improved wheat’s growth and yield. From the economic point of view 80 kg K/ha and its splitting application is best for maximum return from wheat cultivation.