RESPONSE OF WHEAT GROWTH CHARACTERISTICS TO VARIOUS TILLAGE PRACTICES AND SOWING METHODS UNDER SEMI ARID ENVIRONMENT.

Field experiments were conducted at the research farm of The University of Agriculture Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan during 2009-2010 and 2010-2011, to study the effect of tillage practices and sowing methods on emergence, number of tillers, plant height, spike length,and harvest index of wheat under Randomize Complete Block Design (RCBD) with split plot arrangement replicated fourtimes. Tillage practices consisted of Tine Cultivator twice (TC-2), Chisel plow followed by rotavator (CR), Mouldboard plow followed by rotavator (MR), Disc plow followed by rotavator (DR) and Tine Cultivator followed by rotavator(TCR) assigned to main plots, while sowing methods included broadcast (BC) and drilling, (Single box seed drill (SD) and Combined drill (CD) assigned to sub plots. Statistical analysis of the two year data revealed that tillage practices had significant effect on number of tillers, and non significant effect on emergence, plant height, spike length and harvest index. Similarly the effect of sowing methods was significant for emergence, number of tillers, spike length and harvest index. The data revealed that maximum emergence m^-2 number of tillersm^-2 and harvest index was recorded in the plots tilled with tillage implements followed by rotavator as compared to the sole used of tine cultivator twice (TC-2). Similarly sowing by drills produced maximum emergence m^-2, number of tillers m^-2, spike length and harvest index (%) as compared to broadcasting. It is concluded from the results that tillage implements followed by rotavator combination performed well and should be used for tillage practices and sowing by drill method should be used to improve emergence, number of tillers, spike length and harvest index of wheat in arid environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]