Effect of varieties and nitrogen levels on growth indices of malt barley (Hordeum vulgare) under saline water irrigation

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted during the winter (rabi)season of 2017–18 and 2018–19 at the Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, to study the effect of saline water irrigation on growth indices in 4 varieties (‘BH 902’, ‘BH 946’, ‘BH 885’ and ‘DWRB 101’) of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) at different nitrogen levels (0, 30, 60 and 90 kg/ha). The results showed that, during early growth period both 6-row barley varieties ‘BH 902’ and ‘BH 946’ recorded significantly higher crop-growth rate (CGR), relative growth rate (RGR), net assimilation rate (NAR), specific leaf weigth (SLW) and leaf-area duration (LAD) than both 2-row barley varieties ‘BH 885’ and ‘DWRB 101’, whereas ‘BH 885’ and ‘DWRB 101’ varieties attained higher values of RGR and NAR after 90 days after sowing (DAS). The CGR and LAD recorded maximum values between 61 and 90 DAS, while RGR and NAR showed the highest values up to 30 DAS irrespective of varieties and nitrogen levels. Application of 90 kg N/ ha significantly enhanced the CGR up to 90 DAS, RGR up to 30 DAS and LAD up to 120 DAS, while NAR values were significantly increased up to 60 DAS with 30 kg N/ha and SLW up to 90 DAS with 60 kg N/ha. The RGR, NAR and SLW were significantly decreased with the application of different nitrogen levels between 91 and 120 DAS as compared to the control. The variety ‘BH 946’ gave the highest grain yield of 5.15 t/ha, being 5.1, 7.3 and 14.7% higher than ‘DWRB 101’, ‘BH 902’ and ‘BH 885’, respectively. Different varieties responded to N application only up to 60 kg/ha. Grain yield of barley was positively correlated with CGR, SLW and LAD but negatively with RGR.