ABSTRACT

A field experiment was conducted on “Studies on mitigation of saline-sodic soil stress by use of seed priming and bio-agents in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)” at Research field of Ugar Khurd, Belagavi during rabi 2023-24. The experiment was replicated thrice in split plot design with two main plots and seven sub plots.
Seed priming with bio-formulation (water, cow dung, cow urine, jaggery and curd in the ratio of 2.0: 0.5: 0.5: 0.1: 0.05) recorded significantly higher grain yield (38.54 q ha-1), straw yield (65.61 q ha-1), number of effective tillers (272.59 m-2), number of grains spike-1 (41.10), grain weight spike-1 (2.06 g), total dry matter production (256.00 g m-1 row length at harvest), grain protein content (11.75 %) and net returns (`79,931 ha-1) as compared to un-primed seeds.
Among the sub plots, soil application of humic acid (12.5 kg ha-1) + vermicompost (125 kg ha-1) + foliar spray of nano urea @ 4 ml l-1 at tillering and jointing stage recorded significantly higher grain yield (39.07 q ha-1), straw yield (67.03 q ha-1), number of effective tillers (275.06 m-2), number of grains spike-1 (41.48), grain weight spike-1 (2.07 g), total dry matter production (260.22 g m-1 row length at harvest), grain protein content (11.88 %) and net returns (`83,911 ha-1).
Among the interaction effect, primed seeds with soil application of humic acid (12.5 kg ha-1) + vermicompost (125 kg ha-1) + foliar spray of nano urea @ 4 ml l-1 at tillering and jointing stage recorded significantly higher grain yield (42.46 q ha-1), straw yield (72.14 q ha-1), number of effective tillers (288.34 m-2), number of grains spike-1 (46.27), grain weight spike-1 (2.26 g), total dry matter production (273.11 g m-1 row length at harvest), grain protein content (12.56 %) and net returns (`93,818 ha-1).