Optimizing Cow Urine Application Rate at Varying Fertility and Zinc Levels on Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Productivity under Dairy Based Farming System in Varanasi Tract

This field investigation was carried out in two consecutive years of 2016-17 and 2017-18 at the Agricultural Research Farm, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi (U.P.) to assess the effect of cow urine application at varying fertility and zinc levels on growth and yield of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under irrigated condition of Varanasi. Results showed that application of the fertilizer at 100% recommended dose of fertilizers (RDF) recorded significantly higher growth parameters viz. plant height, number of tiller m-1 row length; yield attributes viz. number of effective tiller m-2, spike length, grains spike-1 and test weight as well as grain and straw yield than 75% RDF during both the years. Among the zinc levels, zinc applied at 10 kg ha-1 though remained comparable to 5 kg Zn ha-1, recorded significantly higher values of these parameters over control. Cow urine at the rate of 12000 l ha-1 applied equally at sowing, CRI (Crown Root Initiation) and spike emergence (SE) stages gave higher values of plant height, number of tiller m-1 row length, spike length and number of grain spike-1 which being at par with 4000 l ha-1 cow urine each at sowing and CRI, both recorded significantly higher values than control. However, with respect to effective tillers m-2, grain and straw yield, significant increase was noticed with each increment of cow urine, recording maximum at 12000 l ha-1 during both the years.