Wheat Growth As Affected By Planting Density, Planting Time And Nitrogen Application

Abstract

The growth and development of wheat and quality of wheat flour is dependent on the genotype, fertilizer application, sowing date and plant density. Therefore, plant growth and protein content studies were conducted on two wheat genotypes during the winter planting seasons of 2015 and 2016. The experiment was laid out in a Randomised Complete Block Design in a split-split-plot arrangement, with the main plots being two wheat genotypes; sub plots being two plant density treatments, sub-sub plots being five nitrogen doses and sub-sub-sub plots of two planting dates, replicated three times. The application of 125 kg/ha nitrogen increased the number of days to anthesis, grain protein content and plant height. Early planting reduced days to emergence but delayed days to anthesis and physiological maturity, whereas the protein content and plant height were increased by early planting. The leaf dry mass, crop growth rate and net assimilation rate were similar at each crop stage for the planting densities, and they were increased at 125 kg/ha application of nitrogen. The genotypes showed the presence of glutens of both high molecular and low molecular weight which are likely to contain genes that supports good baking quality of flour. The interaction of plant density, planting time and nitrogen at 125 kg/ha contributed more protein bands with low and high molecular weight glutenin’s in wheat genotypes.