VARIETAL PERFORMANCE OF WHEAT UNDER MANGO BASED AGROFORESTRY SYSTEM

Abstract

An experiment was carried out at the Agroforestry Research Farm, Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University, Dinajpur, during 24 November 2009 to 15 March 2010 to observe the performance of wheat varieties under mango tree in the different shading conditions. Four different wheat varieties like Bijoy, Satabdi, BAW-1059 and Prodip were used in the case of mango based agroforestry system; it was consisted of mango at the top layer and the tested wheat crops at the ground layer. There was also a control (Open field) treatment. The experiment was laid out in the two factors Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. The results of the study revealed that growth and yield contributing characters of wheat were vary significantly with different production systems. Significant effect of different systems was found on the plant height, number of effective tiller plant’, length of spike (cm), no. of spikelet spike’, effective spikelet spike’, no. of grain plant’, grain weight plant (g), 1000-grain weight plant". Again, the quality parameter (germination %, vigour test, root & shoot length, root and shoot fresh & dry weight plant “') of wheat were also vary significantly with different production systems. Germination %, vigor test and root length (cm) of wheat were the highest when it was grown in sole cropping whereas root and shoot dry weight/plant (g) was maximum when it was grown under mango based agroforestry systems. In case of yield, the highest yield was obtained in sole cropping of wheat while lowest yield was found under mango based agroforestry systems. Again, in respect of the wheat varieties (Bijoy, Satabdi, BAW-1059 and Prodip), Prodip gave the maximum yield under mango based agroforestry systems and also in sole cropping. The suitability of the cultivation of wheat variety under mango based agroforestry systems may be ranked as Prodip> BA W-1059 > Satabdi > Bijoy. Again, BCR of mango based agroforestry system (3.04) was superior over control (2.55). From the findings it may be predicted that the cultivation of wheat in the floor of mango orchard ensures higher revenue to the farmers compared to its sole cropping. Among the four varieties, Prodip was the best performer to be grown under mango based agroforestry systems considering the additional returns as per investment in terms of money and time.