Original Article |
2015, Vol.37, No.6, pp. 635-642
Rate and application methods of potassium in light soil for irrigated spring wheat
Akbar Hossain, Jaime A. Teixeira da Silva, and M. Bodruzzaman
pp. 635 - 642
Abstract
A field experiment was conducted at the Wheat Research Sub-Station of the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, Debigonj-Panchagarh, Bangladesh in two wheat-growing seasons to verify the existing potassium (K) rate and to assess the effect of the K application method on wheat cultivation. Eight levels of K were applied: 24 kg K2O ha-1 (all as basal), 24 kg K2O ha-1 (1/2 as basal and 1/2 at 18 days after sowing (DAS)), 48 kg K2O ha-1 (all as basal), 48 kg K2O ha-1 (1/2 as basal and 1/2 at 18 DAS), 72 kg K2O ha-1 (all as basal), 72 kg K2O ha-1 (1/2 as basal and 1/2 at 18 DAS), 96 kg K2O ha-1 (all as basal), 96 kg K2O ha-1 (1/2 as basal and 1/2 at 18 DAS). Grain and biomass yields increased gradually as K2O level increased up to 72 kg ha-1 for both the basal and split application. Yield did not increase even when the dose of K2O was increased from 72 to 96 kg K2O ha-1. A similar trend was observed in the number of spikes m-2 , number of grains spike-1 and 1000-grain weight. Therefore, 72 kg K2O ha-1 is recommended for wheat production in light soil.