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Cultivars and Nitrogen Application Rates Affect Yield and Nitrogen Use Efficiency of Wheat in Hot Arid Region

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Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, India Section B: Biological Sciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The poor nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) in crops increases input costs and environmental problems. Selection of efficient cultivar and using cultivar-specific nitrogen rate are important strategies to improve NUE. A three-year field experiment was conducted to assess yield and NUE of three wheat cultivars (WH-147, Raj-1482, PBW-343) under six levels of N (N0, N40, N60, N80, N100 and N120 kg ha−1) in hot arid conditions at Rajasthan, India. The cultivar, nitrogen rate, and cultivar × nitrogen rate effects were detected significant for growth, yield components, yield and NUE. PBW-343 had 5 and 18 % higher yield as compared to Raj-1482 and WH-147, respectively. Application of N enhanced growth, yield components, and yield. Averaged over cultivars and years, the grain yield with N40, N60, N80, N100, and N120 was 32, 78, 118, 133, and 137 % higher as compared to N0. Response to N rates was cultivar specific; PBW-343 had the greatest yield with N100 and N120, whereas at lower N rates (N0, N40) WH-147 and Raj-1482 had higher yield as compared to PBW-343. The PBW-343 had 45–48 % greater agronomic, and 21–22 % greater apparent recovery efficiencies of N than other cultivars. Results suggest that selection of suitable cultivar and adjusting cultivar –specific N application rates is vital for optimizing grain yield and NUE for wheat crops.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the Ministry of Water Resources, India for providing financial support for the present study under FPARP.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. ICAR-Central Arid Zone Research Institute, Regional Research Station, Bikaner, Rajasthan, 334004, India

    V. S. Rathore, N. S. Nathawat, B. Meel & S. Bhardwaj

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  1. V. S. Rathore
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  2. N. S. Nathawat
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  3. B. Meel
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Correspondence to V. S. Rathore.

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Rathore, V.S., Nathawat, N.S., Meel, B. et al. Cultivars and Nitrogen Application Rates Affect Yield and Nitrogen Use Efficiency of Wheat in Hot Arid Region. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., India, Sect. B Biol. Sci. 87, 1479–1488 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40011-016-0729-8

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