EFFECT OF IRRIGATION AND NITROGEN LEVELS ON NITROGEN AND PHOSPHORUS-CONTENT AND THEIR UPTAKE PATTERN BY HUSKLESS VARIETIES OF BARLEY (HORDEUM-VULGARE)

A field experiment was conducted during the winters of 1984-85 and 1985-86 with 2 huskless varieties ('Karan 4' and 'Karan16') of barley (Hordeum vulgare L. sensu lato) to study the effect of 4 levels of irrigation and 3 levels of nitrogen on grain yield, N and P content and their uptake by shoot at flag-leaf and milk stages and by grain and straw at harvest. Both the varieties gave similar grain yield. Application of 2 irrigations at tillering and flag-leaf stage significantly improved the grain yield of barley compared with no irrigation (control) and 1 irrigation. The average grain yield significantly increased from 13.08 to 34.21 q/ha with 60 kg N/ha compared with no nitrogen. Varieties did not differ in nutrient content and uptake. But 'Karan 16' had higher N content than 'Karan 4' in both the years. The N content decreased but its uptake increased with 2 irrigations compared with no irrigation. Significant increase in P uptake was observed at all the stages, whereas P content was enhanced at flag-leaf and milk stages with 2 irrigations compared with the control. Each additional increment of 20 kg N/ha resulted in significantly higher N and P uptake up to 60 kg N/ha. The N content initially decreased and then gradually increased with further increase in levels of N at all the stages. But P content decreased with an increase in level of N at all stages except flag-leaf in husk less barley.