Efficacy of different sowing geometry on wheat yield and cultivation in Pothwar Region

Abstract

Population of Pakistan is increasing at alarming rate, at the same time natural resources i.e. water, land, air are depleting rapidly due to horizontal expansion of cities, climate change and industrialization etc. The innovation in agricultural mechanization can increase farm production per unit area. Wheat is cereal grain, used as staple food in the country; its productivity depends upon water and fertilizer availability, quality and its seed rate. Most of the Pothwar region is rain fed; irrigation system is not available, only the rain is an alternative natural source, which hardly fulfills the crop water requirements, beside the crop requirements weeds infestation also compete with the wheat for water uptake, which is the major cause of low productivity. To decrease weeds infestation and to increase wheat production, an experiment was planned by using different inter row spacing. Research experiment was performed at University Research Farm Koont Chakwal to investigate effect of sowing geometry on wheat yield and cultivation in Pothwar region of Punjab province. In this experiment, inter-row distance was investigated at four levels, i.e. 15, 20, 25 and 30cm. For interculture operation plow bottoms of M.B plow was adjusted used to control weed in 25 and 30cm inter-row distance experiment, yield difference was monitored and comparison was made between 15 to 20cm row distance wheat sown experiments, without using interculture practice with 25 and 30cm inter-row spacing with interculture operation. Most beneficial inter-row distance to control weed was 30cm, thus to increase production was recommended for farmers of Pothwar region.