A New System to Manage Tillage and Phosphate Fertilizer For Wheat in Gypsiferous Soils

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted to find a new system to manage tillage and phosphate fertilizer in gypsiferous soils and evaluate its effect on yield and yield components of wheat ( Triticum aestivum). The experiment was conducted using split – split plot design in three replicates, where tillage system represent the main plots, P level represent sub-plots, and method of P fertilizer application represent sub-sub plots. Two types of tillage were used, i.e. Reduced Tillage (RT) and Conventional Tillage (CT). P levels used were three (0, 48, and 96 kg P.ha-1) P1, P2, and P3 respectively. Method of P application consisted of four methods viz. broadcasting, band, single side drilling, and double side drilling (m1, m2, m3, and m4) respectively. Results showed that reduced tillage (RT) was superior over conventional tillage (CT) in all yield components (No. of spikes. m-2, No. of grain. Spike-1, No. of grain. Spikelet-1, wt. of 1000 grains, and grain yield) with values reached (282.8, 37.89, 2.98, 34.9 g, 4020 kg. ha-1) respectively, compared with (211.0, 29.0, 2.06, 28.5 g, 1858 kg. ha-1) respectively, for conventional tillage. The double side drilling (m4) was superior over other methods of application. The highest values of yield parameters were for the benefit of the triple interaction treatment (RTP3m4) which achieved 380, 44.67, 3.69, 41.0g, and 6197 kg. ha-1, for the above mentioned parameters, respectively.