Effect of Phosphate Rock on the Growth and Yield of Wheat (<i>Triticum aestivum</i> L.) under Old Brahmaputra Floodplain Soils

Abstract

A study was conducted to determine the direct and residual effects of phosphate rock (PR) on the growth and yield of wheat cv. Kanchan during Rabi season of 2004-2005 at the Bangladesh Agricultural University farm, Mymensingh. The experiment was designed with four treatments and was laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with four replications. The treatments were: T_1: control (0 kg P ha^-1), T₂: PR (26 kg P ha^-1), T₃: TSP (26 kg P ha^-1), and T₄: PR (210 kg P ha^-1 applied in previous crop to cover 6 succeeding crops). Dry matter yield at panicle initiation (PI) stage was significantly influenced by the treatments. Effective tillers hill^-1 and grains panicles^-1 varied significantly with P treatments. The highest grain yield (3.10 t ha^-1) and straw yield (5.54 t ha^-1) were found in T₃ treatment. Economic analysis demonstrated that the highest net benefit of Tk. 24,788 ha^-1 was obtained in T₃ treatment which was followed by Tk. 22,964 ha^-1 and Tk.12,292 ha^-1 in T₄ and T₂, respectively. The highest net benefit was obtained from T₃ treatment due to higher grain and straw yields.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/agric.v10i1.11062

The Agriculturists 2012; 10(1): 31-37