SOWING DATE AND WATER DEFICIT EFFECTS ON THE GROWTH, DRY MATTER PARTITIONING AND YIELD OF BARLEY

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to study the performance of BARI barley-6 in different sowing dates under irrigated and rainfed conditions during the rabi season of 2006-2007, at the Research Field and Laboratory of Department of Crop Physiology and Ecology, Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University, Dinajpur. Four sowing dates (viz. November 1, 15, 29 and December 13) and two irrigation regimes (viz. no irrigation and three irrigations at tillering, early booting and heading stages of growth) were included as experimental treatments. The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. The results of the present investigation indicate that sowing date had significant effect on physiological responses, dry matter partitioning, growth attributes, biochemical parameters, yield and yield components. November 15 sowing had positive effect on the crop leading to good physiological responses, greater accumulation of dry matter in stem, leaf and spike, higher growth attributes and higher yield and yield components in almost all cases, which were statistically alike with November 29 sowing. Higher RLWC, MRC, chlorophyll content, plant height and 1000- grain weight were recorded in November 1 sowing which was at par with November 15 sowing. On the other hand, late sowing resulted in weak physiological responses and decreased yield but showed highest accumulation of proline. The present investigation also indicated that LAI, LAD, TDM, CGR, RGR and NAR were increased due to irrigation at all the growth stages. Greater accumulation of dry matter in stem, leaf and spike was also noticed in the irrigated plants. Irrigation increased plant height, number of tiller plant’! and number of leaf plant’! at almost all the growth stages. The number of days for achievement of different phenological stages increased due to irrigation. Irrigated plant had higher MRC, RLWC and chlorophyll content but lower amount of proline content. Irrigation increased yield and almost all yield components such as number of fertile tiller plant’, extrusion length, spike length, number of fertile spikelets spike’! and 1000-grain weight. Interaction effect of November 15 sowing with well irrigated condition and November 29 sowing with well irrigated condition were found suitable for better yield performance of barley. Barley crop showed lowest yield performance in case of December 13 sowing with non-irrigated condition through the production of lowest number of fertile tiller plant’, lowest number of fertile spikelets plant’ and lower 1000-grain weight.