Abstract

Field experiments were conducted during rabi (winter) seasons of 2011–12 and 2012–13 at the Agricultural Research Farm, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh (India) to find out the effect of phenological stages based irrigation scheduling, super absorbent polymer (hydrogel) and NPK rates on wheat. Four irrigations given at CRI (23 DAS), tillering (44 DAS), boot leaf (83 DAS) and milking stage (105 DAS) recorded maximum grain yield, straw yield, NPK uptake and water use efficiency in wheat. The grain yield, nutrient uptake and water use efficiency were maximum when wheat crop was given 100% recommended NPK in combination with hydrogel at 5 kg/ha in the sandy loam soil of Varanasi.