PERFORMANCE OF THREE BREAD WHEAT CULTIVARS UNDER DIFFERENT SOWING PATTERNS

Abstract

Two field experiments were conducted in 2013/14 and 2014/15 growing seasons at the Faculty of Agriculture,Kafrelsheikh University, to study the impact of sowing pattern on grain yield and yield contributing parameters of three Egyptian bread wheat cultivars. A strip plot design with three replications was used. Three sowing patterns (Broadcast, Drill and Bed.) were assigned in the horizontal plots. The three bread wheat cultivars (Misr 1, Misr 2 and Gemmeiza 9) were randomly distributed in vertical plots. The number of days to heading and maturity, plant height, flag leaf area, the number of fertile tiller/m -2 , 1000-grain weight, the number of grains/spike, grain yield, straw yield, harvest index (%) and grain filling rate were studied. The most important results could be summarized as follows: sowing pattern significantly affected number of days to heading and harvest index in the 1 st. season, whereas the number of fertile tillers, 1000-grain weight, the number of grains/spike, straw yield and grain filling rate in both seasons. There were highly significant differences among wheat cultivars for all the studied characters. Gemmeiza 9 recorded the highest number of days to heading and the number of days to maturity, plant height, flag leaf area, 1000-grain weight and the number of grains/spike in both seasons, and Misr 1 and 2 in 2013/14 and Misr 2 in 2014/15 recorded the highest harvest index. The results indicated also that Misr 2 produced the highest grain yield, straw yield and grain filling rate in both seasons. Misr 2 produced the highest grain yield, straw yield under drill sowing pattern in both seasons. Drill sowing pattern wasr the best sowing for all cultivars under this investigation.