Productivity and nutrient uptake of newly released wheat varieties at different sowing times under poplar plantation in north-western India

• Published in: Agroforestry systems Vol. 76; no. 3; pp. 579 - 590
• Main Authors: Gill, R. I. S, Singh, Baljit, Kaur, Navneet
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Dordrecht : Springer Netherlands 01-07-2009; Springer Netherlands; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Agricultural production; Agriculture; Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Biological and medical sciences; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Crop science; Crop yield; cultivars; economic impact; environmental impact; forest plantations; forest trees; Forestry; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Genetics and breeding of economic plants; Grain; grain yield; hundred seed weight; Life Sciences; nitrogen; Nutrient uptake; phosphorus; plant nutrition; plantation forestry; Plantations; planting date; Populus deltoides; potassium; spatial variation; tillers; tree age; Triticum aestivum; Wheat; Wheat straw; yield components; India; Asia; South Asia; Crop and tree parameters; Light intensity; Nutrient concentration; Grain yield; Productivity; Monocotyledones; Grains; Nutrient uptake; Sowing date; Salicaceae; Luminous intensity; Triticum; Artificial forest stand; Gramineae; Dicotyledones; Angiospermae; Tree; Nutrient; Spermatophyta; Chemical concentration; Yield; Populus; Agroforestry; Cultivar
• ISSN: 0167-4366; 1572-9680
• DOI: 10.1007/s10457-009-9223-0

Standardisation of cultural practises is one of the primary objectives to make the system ecologically sustainable and economically viable. In this context, the present study was conducted to optimise the time of sowing in relation to newly released wheat varieties under 4-6 year old poplar block plantation. Six widely grown wheat varieties (PBW 502, PBW 343, WH 542, PDW 274, PBW 509 and PBW 373) were intercultivated during three consecutive crop growth seasons at three times of sowing (mid November, late November and mid December) under block plantation of poplar (Populus deltoides Bartr.) clone G-48. The grain yield and nutrient uptake of wheat varieties was higher in open conditions than under the trees. The wheat variety PBW 502 out yielded the rest of wheat varieties over different sowing times. The highest grain yield was recorded when crop was sown during mid November over the 3 years. Thus adoption of PBW 502 under poplar plantation would substantially improve the overall productivity of the system without any additional input cost. All the varieties performed better when sown early compared to one-month delay. The various growth parameters like tiller height and number, spike length and 100 grain weight contributed significantly towards higher grain yield in early sown conditions (mid November) under poplar irrespective of its age of plantation. The nutrient uptake (N, P and K) by wheat straw and grain was higher in early sown crop with longer growth span than the late sown crop. The higher quantity of N, P and K was removed from soil by PBW 509, PBW 373 and PBW 343, respectively.