The Effect of Different Fertilizer Applications on Growth and Grain Yield of Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in High Terrace Soil

Abstract

The experiment was conducted during the successive seasons of 2008/2009 and 2009/2010 at the Farm of the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of Dongola, Northern State, Sudan. The aim of this experiment was to study the effect of fertilizer doses, types and application methods on the growth and grain yield of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). The study was conducted on high terrace soil (Aridisols) in the Northern State. Experimental method was a split-split plot with four replications. The main plot was composed of two methods of fertilizer application (broadcasting and banding) in randomized complete block design (RCBD). Subplots consisted of two types of compound fertilizers {Urea (46% N) + Triple super phosphate (46% P2O5) (23-23-0)} and Nitrophoska (18-18-5). Sub-subplots consisted of four doses of each fertilizer (0, 43, 86 and 129 Kg N and P2O5 /ha). Growth parameters of wheat which were investigated in this study were plant height, number of tillers per meter square, leaf area index (LAI), days to 50% heading and days to 95% maturity. Yield components were number of grains per spike (G/S), thousand grains weight (TGW), spike index (SI), grain yield (t/ha) and harvest index (HI). The general trend was that the increase in fertilizer dose significantly increased the plant height, number of tillers per meter square, leaf area index, but there were no significant difference in days to heading and days to maturity also there were highly significant effects in the second season on number of grains per spike. There was no significant difference in thousand grains weight and spike index between the fertilizer doses in both seasons. The statistical analysis showed that the increase in fertilizer doses significantly increased grain yield in both seasons, but they significantly decreased harvest index. Generally there were no significant differences in growth parameters and yield components between the fertilizer types and between the application methods. vii ‫‪The grain yield showed significant positive correlations with plant height, Leaf‬‬ ‫.‪area index, number of tillers per meter square and number of grains per spike‬‬