EFFECT OF IRRIGATION AND NITROGEN ON THE YIELD OF BARLEY (HORDEUM-VULGARE) VARIETIES

A field experiment was carried out during 1984-85 and 1985-86 to study the effect of irrigation and nitrogen on grain yield of huskless varieties 'Karan 4' and 'Karan 16' of barley (Hordeum vulgare L. sensu lato). Both these varieties were at par for grain yield. Application of 2 irrigations at tillering and flag-leaf stages enhanced the grain yield significantly over no irrigation and 1 irrigation treatments. The average grain yield increase was 1.31-3.42 tonnes/ha with 60 kg N/ha compared with no nitrogen. The response to applied N was higher in irrigation than in no-irrigation treatment. The marginal response to each increment of N, however, exhibited a declining trend. The per cent recovery of applied N decreased with an increase in N level. The production efficiency was maximum with 20 kg N/ha and decreased with an increase in N dose.