EFFECT OF PLANT-GROWTH CHEMICALS ON MORPHOPHYSIOLOGICAL CHARACTERS OF LATE SOWN WHEAT

A field experiment comprising five dates of sowing (10, 20 and 30 December, 9 and 19 January), three plant growth chemicals (triacontanol, cytozyme and kinetin) along with a control and their three times of application (at tillering, flowering and tillering + flowering) was conducted on late sown wheat at Rajasthan College of Agriculture, Udaipur during rabi 1982-83 and 1983-84. There was a progressive decrease in LAI, CGR, RGR, NAR and yield as the sowing time of wheat was delayed. In general, sowing of wheat on 10 December followed by 20 December attained more values of above parameters and proved superior to later dates of sowing. Foliar spray of triacontanol recorded the maximum values of CGR, RGR, NAR, LAD and yield when compared with control and other chemicals. The values of CGR, RGR, NAR, LAD and grain yield increased significantly when chemicals were applied at tillering + flowering as compared to application at tillering or flowering stage.