Impact of Sowing Pattern and Seed Rate on Quality of Wheat Seed

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is the world's most essential staple food. It is the most important crop in Himachal Pradesh during the winter season in the state's low and mid hills. Manipulation of agronomic practices such as planting pattern/geometry and seed rate is regarded as the first stage in achieving optimum plant distribution over cultivated area, resulting in greater utilization of above and below ground natural resources. A field and laboratory investigation was undertaken to study the effect of different planting patterns and seed rates on its quality in wheat by evaluating the quality parameters. The experiment with twelve treatment combinations comprising of four planting patterns (P1-15 cm, P2 -23 cm, P3 -15 x 15 cm and P4 -23 x 23 cm) and three seed rates (S1 -100, S2 - 120 and S3 -140 kg/ha) was conducted in Randomized Block Design with four replications during Rabi season of 2015-16 at experimental farm of CSKHPKV, Palampur, Himachal Pradesh, India. Observations showed that 23 × 23 cm planting patterns produced significantly (2.96%) higher 1000 seed weight, (8.08%) seedling length, (6.01%) seedling dry weight, (8.34%) vigour index –I and (6.58%) vigour index- II over normal planting patterns (23 cm), whereas other planting techniques had no appreciable impact on germination percentage. Different seed rates had no appreciable impact on 1000 seed weight, germination rate, seedling length, seedling dry weight, and vigour index. Criss cross sowing (23 x 23 cm) with 140 kg per hectare is the best combination for quality seed production of wheat.