Influence of planting pattern and nitrogen requirement on quality and nitrogen uptake of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Stagnating wheat yields and dropping of grain protein content pose a significant challenge to the nation’s food and nutritional security. Hence, optimising resource-use efficiency through synchronised nutrient management and precise spatial arrangements is necessary to provide a balance between productivity and quality. This study evaluates how the synergy of planting geometry, soil nitrogen application and strategic foliar application can enhance nitrogen uptake and improve the end-use quality of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under Indian conditions. The research was designed as a split-split plot experiment with three replications. The primary factor, constituting the main plot treatments, involved three distinct planting patterns: M1 being conventional flat sowing, M2 and M3 being bed sowing with two rows per bed and three rows per bed, respectively. Within these planting patterns, the sub-plot treatments were three different levels of soil-applied nitrogen (N), where compared, i.e. N1(0 kg/ha N), N2 and N3 being 50 and 100 % of the recommended dose of nitrogen. Finally, the sub-sub plot treatments introduced three different timings for a 2 % foliar nitrogen application at the crown root initiation stage (F1), tillering stage (F2) and boot stage (F3). The outcome revealed significant synergistic effects between different planting geometries, soil nitrogen application and strategic foliar application of nitrogen, with M2 yielding the best results among planting geometries, N3 being the best treatment for soil applications and F2 showing the best results among strategic foliar application of nitrogen. These findings highlight the potential of the interactive effect of these factors to mitigate the inherent trade-off between productivity and nutritional quality of the wheat crop.