Material and methods: Four cereal crops e.g, wheat, triticale, oat and barley were tested on four different sowing dates under the ADP scheme (testing of new cereal crops in Barani areas to improve food security) at BARS, Kohat during rabi 2011-12 sowing was done at proper wattar condition in split plot design having three replications in 30 cm spaced rows on the respective sowing dates for each crop. Standard dose of fertilizers were applied at the of sowing. Crops species were used as main plot while sowing date as sub plot (5x1.8m)
Detail of sowing dates in and crops is given below.
S.No Sowing date Crops
D-1 25-10-2011 1-wheat
D-2 05-11-2011 2-triticale
D-3 15-11-2011 3-oat
D-4 30-11-2011 4-barley
Data on days to 50% flowering, plant height (cm) and grain yield Kg/ha recorded and analyzed at 0.05 p.
Results and discussion:
Days to 50% flowering: data given in table# ( ) showed that cereal crops and their sowing significantly differed for days to 50% flowering. Wheat and oat took the maximum days 139, 138 for 50% flowering. While the minimum days 127, 126 were recorded for triticale and barley respectively. Sowing dates also differed days to 50% flowering significantly. Maximum days (140) and (137) were noted for D1 (25 Oct) and D2 (5th Nov). The minimum days of (122) and (130) were noted to 50% flowering for D4 (30th Nov) and D3 (15 Nov). The data further indicated that interaction of crops x sowing dates also significantly days to 50% flowering. The maximum days (148) were noted for wheat sown on 25 Oct (D1) and minimum days 116 for 50% flowering for barley sown on 30 Nov (D4) table#
Table W6 Mean values showing days to 50% flowering for cereal crops in sowing date trials 2011-12.
Sowing date Wheat triticale oat barley mean
D-1 25 Oct 148A 130E-G 146AB 133DE 140A
D-2 05 Nov 144BC 132E-F 142C 130F-G 137A
D-3 15 Nov 136D 124I 137D 123I 130B
D-4 30Nov 126HI 120J 128G-H 116J 122C
Mean 139A 127B 138A 126B
Plant height (cm): plant height was significantly affected by sowing dates in cereal crops. The maximum plant height of 121 cm was noted for triticale followed barley attaining the plant height of 106 cm. Wheat attained the minimum plant height of 85 cm. The plant height was maximum110 cm for D1 (25Oct) and D2 (05 Nov) while the minimum plant height of 92 and 103 cm were recorded for D4 (30Nov) and D3 (15Nov) respectively. Interaction of crops and sowing dates also significantly affected plant height.
Table# mean values showing plant height (cm) of cereal crops in sowing date trial 2011-12.
Sowing date Wheat triticale oat barley mean
D-1 25 Oct 95F-G 127A 105D 116B 110A
D-2 05 Nov 95F-G 125A 112BC 106CE 110A
D-3 15 Nov 84H 123A 103E 101EF 103B
D-4 30Nov 67I 110BD 92C 100EF 92C
Mean 85B 121A 103AB 106A
LSD Value for
1- Crops= 19.9
2- Sowing dates=6.39
3- Crops x sowing dates=6.39
Grain yield Kg/ha: data presented in table# indicated that both the cereal crops and sowing dates significantly affected grain yield Kg/ha. The grain yield of 4088, 3885 and 3758 Kg/ha were recorded for barley, triticale and oat respectively. The minimum grain yield of 2632 Kg/ha was noted for wheat. The % yield increase for barley, triticale and oat was 55%, 47% and 42% as compared to wheat. Among the sowing dates the highest grain yield of 4343 Kg/ha was noted for D1 (25 Oct) followed by D2 (05Nov) and D4 (30Nov) giving grain yield of 3991 and 3048 Kg/ha respectively. The minimum grain yield of 2980 Kg/ha was recorded for D3 (15Nov). Interaction of crops x sowing dates also significantly affected grain yield. The highest grain yield of 5776 Kg/ha was produced by triticale sown on D2 (5th Nov) followed by oat sown on (25Oct) D1 producing grain yield of 5199 Kg/ha. The grain yield was minimum (1877 Kg/ha) is noted for wheat sown on 25 Oct. the table further indicated that oat when sown 30th Nov produce the lower yield of 2500 Kg/ha as compared to its higher grain yield 5199 Kg/ha when sown on 25th Oct meaning that earlier the sowing, higher the grain yield by oat.
Table# mean values showing grain yield Kg/ha of cereal crops in sowing date trial 2011-12.
Sowing date wheat triticale oat barley mean
D-1 25 Oct 1877H 5776A 5199AB 4522BC 4343A
D-2 05 Nov 2844D-H 4011CD 4777AC 4333BC 3991AB
D-3 15 Nov 2888D-H 2699E-H 2555F-H 3777C-E 2980B
D-4 30Nov 2917D-H 3055D-G 2500G-H 3722C-E 3048B
Mean 2632B 3885A 3758A 4088A
LSD Value for
1-Crops= 977
2-Sowing dates= 1175
3-crops x sowing date= 1175
