Impact of Different Planting Geometries on Aphid Populations and Estimation Crop Water Productivity of Wheat under different Irrigation Regimes

Abstract

Wheat is an important cereal crop worldwide. Water scarcity is major threat to agricultural crops production. Yield of the wheat crop is being suppressed by many abiotic factors including water scarcity. The current research work executed to probe out the best planting geometry and irrigation method in order to improve the wheat crop productivity by considering evapotranspiration. The research trial was designed with Five treatments; Treatment-1 (Broadcasting and Flood/Surface Irrigation), Treatment-2 (Drill Sowing on Flat and Drip Irrigation), Treatment-3 (69 cm wide bed/46 cm Furrow with single lateral), Treatment-4 (100 cm wide bed /46 cm Furrow with double lateral), Treatment-5 (Broadcasting on Flat and Drip Irrigation) at Water Management Research Farm, Renala Khurd, Okara, Punjab-Pakistan under a common drip irrigation system. A wheat variety, Akbar-2019 was sown in the Rabi season of 2022 and 2023 under the RCBD layout on beds of different geometries. Data regarding growth, development, yield, and water productivity was collected. Results of wheat crop growth attributes during Kharif season-2022 revealed that maximum plant height (79 cm) was recorded in case of T₁ during the rabi-season 2022 and 2023 while the lowest plant height (73 cm) was enumerated in case of T₂ during rabi-season 2022_. Comparatively greater tillers (6 tiller per plant) were recorded in case of T₁, T₂ and T₅. Maximum 1000-grains weight (0.047 kg) was computed in case of T₄ while the lowestweight (0.035 kg) was recorded in case of T₅ during the both cropping seasons of wheat.Grains per spike were maximum (30 grains per spike) in case of T₁ while lowest grains count (28 grains per spike) in case of T₅ during the rabi-seasons. However, while the lowest plant height (74 cm) was enumerated in case of T₄ during the rabi-season 2023_. Grains per spike were maximum (28 grains per spike) in case of T₁ while lowest grains count (24 grains per spike) in case of T_2. Results of three studied aphid populations revealed that maximum aphid population (6.56 mean aphids/leaf) of Rphalosiphum padi in case of T₃ while the lowest population (1.92 mean aphids/leaf) in case of T₅ of planting geometry. Comparatively lower aphid populations of Schizaphis graminum and Sitobion avenae were recorded on the different planting geometries. Crop water productivity results was maximum in case of T4 treatment during the both study years. From the results, it could be concluded that Treatment-3 (69 cm wide bed/46 cm Furrow with single lateral) would be the most appropriate for getting higher crop water productivity of wheat.