Planting pattern and nitrogen management strategies: positive effect on yield and quality attributes of Triticum aestivum L. crop

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is a staple food crop that plays a crucial role in global food security. A suitable planting pattern and optimum nitrogen (N) split management are efficient practices for improving wheat production. Therefore, an experiment was performed to explore the effect of N split management and sowing patterns on wheat at the Agronomy Research Farm, The University of Agriculture Peshawar, during rabi season 2020-21 and 2021-22. The treatments consisted of different nitrogen rates of 0, 80, 120, and 160 kg ha^{- 1} and planting patterns of W, M, broadcast and line sowing. The pooled analysis of both cropping seasons showed that application of 120 kg N ha^{- 1} increased spikelets spike^{- 1}, grains spike^{- 1}, 1000 grains weight, grain yield, grain N content, evapotranspiration and water use efficiency by 21.9, 16.7, 21.8, 70, 13, 19.9 and 40% as compared to control, respectively. In addition, W and M were observed the best management practices among all planting patterns. The M planting pattern enhanced chlorophyll a, b, carotenoids and evapotranspiration while W plating pattern improved yield components and yield of wheat as compared to broadcast planting patterns. The principal component analysis biplot showed a close association of M and W planting patterns with 120 kg N ha^{- 1} in most of the studied traits. Hence, it is concluded that split application of 120 kg N ha^{- 1} in W and M sowing patterns enhanced growth, biochemical traits and water use efficiency, reducing N fertilization from 160 to 120 kg ha^{- 1} while increasing grain yield of wheat. Hence, it is recommended that application of 120 kg N ha⁻¹ in combination with W and M planting patterns offer a sustainable approach to enhancing wheat production in the alkaline soil conditions of the Peshawar valley.