Water requirement of late-sown wheat (Triticum aestivum) under limited water availability in Jharkhand plateau

A field experiment was conducted during the winter seasons of 1995-97 at the university farm, Ranchi, in randomized block design, replicated thrice, to find out the water requirement of late-sown wheat (Triticum aestivum L. emend. Fiori & Paol.) under different irrigation schedules. Treatment consisted of 11 irrigation schedules based of frequency (4, 3 and 2) and time of application. Wheat with 4 irrigations at crown-root initiation, maximum tillering, boot and milk stages utilized 335.9 mm water @ 2.87 mm/day and produced 2,707 kg grain/ha with water-use efficiency of 8.06 kg grain/10(4) litres water use. Omission of irrigation at crown-root initiation had similar water use (333.9 mm @ 2.90 mm/day) and resulted in similar grain yield (?,523 kg/ha) with water-use efficiency 7.56 kg grain/10(4) litres water. Among 2 irrigation schedules, wheat irrigated at maximum tillering and milk stages utilize 288 mm water @ 2.69 mm/day and gave significantly higher grain yield (2,011 kg/ha) with water-use efficiency 6.98 kg grain/10(4) litres water. Daily consumptive water use increased with crop age and reached its peak during the second fortnight of February and declined thereafter. Crop coefficient (Cu/EP) also increased with crop age and reached its peak during February (0.64), whereas 'k' value of Blaney Criddle reached its peak during January (0.56) and remained steady during February (0.55) and thereafter gradually declined.