PRODUCTION POTENTIAL AND ECONOMICS OF WHEAT AS INFLUENCED BY LIMING IN NORTH EASTERN REGION OF BANGLADESH
Md. Rayhan Shaheb1, Mahmudul Islam Nazrul1 and M. Ataur Rahman2
1Senior Scientific Officer, On-Farm Research Division, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), Sylhet-3100, Bangladesh and 2Principal Scientific Officer, Regional Wheat Research Station, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), Gazipur, Bangladesh
ABSTRACT
Soil acidification threatens dry land crop production in the soils of entire Sylhet region in Bangladesh. Our objective was to assess the efficacy of lime doses with agroeconomic performances of wheat varieties to lower soil acidity and increase wheat production in a direct-seeded system. Field trail was carried out at Eastern Surma Kushiara Flood Plain soil (AEZ 20) of Sylhet in the three consecutive years of 2010-11, 2011-12 and 2012-13. Treatments of wheat varieties (Bijoy, Prodip, Sufi, BARI Gom-25 and BARI Gom-26) and lime (0 and 1.5 tha-1) arranged in a split-plot design. Lime was applied in main plots and varieties are distributed randomly in sub plots. Soil was sampled in November 2010 to assess pH and Low pH was evident at the depth of fertilizer placement (0-30 cm). Broadcast lime increased pH up to 6.0 in 2013. The result revealed that most of the yield component viz. spikes m-2, thousand grain weight and grain yield of wheat was significantly influenced by liming. There were variations in lime response among the wheat varieties. Results observed that all the varieties performed well in the liming plot (3.39-4.09 tha-1) and BARI Gom-26 produced the maximum yield (4.09 tha-1) among them compare to non liming one (2.48-2.97 tha-1). Cost benefit analysis indicated that the highest BCR was recorded in BARI Gom-26 in the liming plot that was 24% more compared to non liming plot. However, the index of relative adaptability of wheat was the maximum in BARI Gom-26 and it could be cultivated at acidic soil in Sylhet, Bangladesh.
