Abstract            Volume:13  Issue-2  Year-2025         Original Research Articles

Online ISSN : 2347 - 3215 Issues : 12 per year Publisher : Excellent Publishers Email : editorijcret@gmail.com

The response of bread wheat yield, yield related and water use efficiency to different levels of irrigation was studied at Qadalle irrigation scheme. Six levels of irrigation water (50, 60, 70, 80, 90 and 100) % ETc were arranged in RCBD with three replications. The experimental field was divided in to 18 with the plot size of 3.6mx5m (18m2) to accommodate 6 furrows with spacing of 0.6m and having 4m length, consisting four ridges and five furrows for each plot. The blocks and plot had a buffer zone of 1.2m & 1.5m respectively from each other to eliminate influence of lateral flow of water. Field canal was constructed for each block to irrigate the field. For each plot, box shaped structures were constructed to dissipate the energy of water diverted to the plots. Recently released bread wheat (ETW9578) variety was used as test crop. All the plots were irrigated to field capacity after planting. Soil samples were taken before and after irrigation event for the first weeks after planting and classified in to sandy loam. Thereafter, irrigation frequency was established according to treatments. Aimed at data collection, four central rows with a net plot size of 12 m2 used and all plot were given 100 kg/ha of triple superphosphate (TSP). The ANOVA result revealed that the maximum grain yield (4751.46 Kgha-1) of wheat was recorded at 100%ETc irrigation level but the lowest yield (2101.87) was recorded at 50%ETc irrigation level. The irrigation water levels (T1 and T2) were significantly affected grain yield, above ground biomass, plant height, spike length, and TSW of the bread wheat but gave highest water use efficiency (WUE). Increasing the irrigation water level significantly increases the yield and yield components of the “ETW9578” variety of bread wheat. Grain yield increments were (9.33, 11.55, 18.75, 19.35 and 19.93) % for T1, T2, T3, T4 and T5, respectively, compared with T6. Similarly, the study revealed that other yield components like plant height, productive tiller number and above ground biomass of wheat increased with the increasing rates of irrigation water level. The highest thousand seed weight was recorded from the 60%ETc and 90%ETc irrigation treatment. However, there was no significant variation between 70 and 80%ETc irrigation water level. Here, increasing the application rate of water level from 50%ETc to full irrigation maximize yields of bread wheat but reduce water use efficiency. On the other hand, reducing water level from 90 to 70%ETc was not reduce the yield significantly, rather it have water saving and economic advantage. Therefore, application of 70%ETc irrigation water level is recommended for optimum returns of irrigation of wheat in the study area. Received: 18 December 2024 Accepted: 25 January 2024 Available Online: 20 February 2025

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