DUAL PURPOSE WHEAT FOR FORAGE AND GRAIN YIELD IN RESPONSE TO CUTTING, SEED RATE AND NITROGEN

Availability of green fodder is one of the most serious problems for livestock particularly in winter season. The aim of this research was to evaluate dual purpose wheat utilized for forage and grain yield grown under different seed rate (S) and nitrogen (N) levels. Wheat variety Bakhtawar-92 was sown at Agricultural University, Peshawar for forage and grain production using 3 N rates (80, 120, 160 kg ha(-1)), 2 S rates (100, 150 kg ha(-1)) and 3 cuttings (no cut, cut 75 days after planting, cut 90 days after planting). Forage dry matter yield increased with delay in cutting from 75 days to 90 days after sowing and delayed days to heading, whereas grain yield decreased with delayed cutting. No cut produced tallest plants with highest grain yield. Seed rate of 150 kg ha(-1) and maximum N (160 kg ha(-1)) produced tallest plants, maximum forage dry matter and biological yield, however, days to heading was delayed. Grain yield was higher from 100 kg ha(-1) seed rate and 120 kg N ha(-1). Similar trend was observed in productive tillers m(-2), number of grains spike(-1) and 1000-grains weight and perform better in the no cut plots, 100 kg ha(-1) seed rate and 120 kg N ha(-1). It may be concluded that seed rate of 100 kg ha(-1) and 120 kg N ha(-1) and no cut appeared to be optimum for grain yield of wheat. Dry forage yield of 204 kg roughly equal to 800 kg(-1) green forage may be obtained with a reduction of 300 kg in grain and 440 kg in biological yield ha(-1).