Role of agronomic manipulations in modification of wheat microclimate under central Punjab.

Wheat crop is influenced by different microclimatic parameters like solar radiation, canopy temperature etc. Agronomic manipulation like change in row spacing and row direction can be used as a strategy to modify the microclimate of crop. Keeping these facts in view, field trials were conducted during rabi 2012-13 and 2013-14 under two experiments in first experiment wheat varieties HD 2967, PBW 550 and PBW 343 were sown under three row spacing viz. 15 cm, 22.5 cm and 30 cm. In second experiment, wheat varieties HD 2967, PBW 550 and PBW 343 were sown under two row direction viz. North-South (N-S) and East-West (E-W). Short wave radiation interception and canopy temperature was recorded under different treatments at 15 days interval. Among different row spacing, short wave radiation interception and canopy temperature was maximum at 30 cm row spacing (77.7% and 25.1°C) followed by 22.5 cm (75.7% and 24.2°C) and 15 cm row spacing (73.9% and 23.2°C), whereas under row directions short wave radiation interception and canopy temperature was more (76.5% and 23.9°C) in E-W row direction as compared to N-S row direction (75% and 23.2°C). Relationships were developed between dry matter accumulation and canopy temperature. Polynomial relationships gave significant R² value (0.66 & 0.69) under different treatments. This two year study indicated that agronomic manipulations play an important role in microclimate modification and canopy temperature significantly influence dry matter accumulation under different crop geometry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]