Influence of hydrogel and nutrient management on wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) growth and development under limited irrigation conditions

A field experiment was conducted during the Rabi seasons of 2021-22 and 2022-23 at Department of Agronomy, R.B.S. College Bichpuri, Agra. The variable involved in this study were four levels of irrigation viz. I0 (no irrigation), I1 (a single irrigation at the CRI stage), I2 (irrigation twice at the CRI and boot leaf stages), and I3 (irrigation three times at the CRI, booting leaf, and milking stages) and six hydrogel and nutrient management levels viz. HNM1 (75% NPK without hydrogel), HNM2 (75% NPK with hydrogel @ 2.5 kg/ha), HNM3 (75% NPK with hydrogel @ 5.0 kg/ha), HNM4 (100% NPK without hydrogel), HNM5 (100% NPK with hydrogel @ 2.5 kg/ha), and HNM6 (100% NPK with hydrogel @ 5.0 kg/ha). Thus, in all 24 treatment combinations were compared in a “split plot design” having stage of irrigation in main plots and hydrogel and nutrient management levels in sub-plots with three replications. The results revealed that three irrigations I3 (CRI, booting leaf, and milking stages) with treatment HNM6 (100% NPK with hydrogel @ 5.0 kg/ha), significantly improved wheat growth and development under limited water conditions.