Narrow row spacing ensures higher productivity of low tillering wheat cultivars

This study was conducted to appraise the performance of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars, differing in tillering capacity and stature, grown under divergent row spacing. Three wheat cultivars Sahar-2006 (SH-06) (standard height & low tillering), Abdul Sattar-2002 (AS-02) (standard height & high tillering) and Triple Dwarf-1 (TD-1) (dwarf sized & low tillering) were planted under 15, 20, 25 and 30 cm spaced rows. Higher grain yield was harvested from the cultivar SH-06 due to substantial increase in number of grains per spike and grain weight; whereas higher straw and biological yield were noted in cultivar AS-02 due to sizeable increase in number of tillers. Minimum straw and biological yields were observed in TD-1 due to its dwarf stature and low tillering potential. Wheat sown under narrow row spacing, 15 cm wide rows in particular, produced higher wheat yield due to significant increase in productive tillers. Increase in number of grains per spike and 1000-grain weight, from wider row spacing (30 cm), could not compensate the drastic decrease in productive tillers resulting in severe decrease in grain yield. Wheat cultivars with low tillering ability, such as TD-1 and SH-06, planted under narrow row spacing (15 & 20 cm, respectively) produced higher grain yield, whereas high tillering cultivar AS-02 produced better grain yield in wider rows. In conclusion, planting of low tillering dwarf cultivar (TD-1) in narrow (15 cm) rows and low tillering cultivar (SH-06) in medium rows (20 cm) resulted in more productivity owing to substantial rise in fertile tillers.