Assessing the performance of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) crop by managing irrigation and nitrogen fertilizer under a semi-arid environment

Understanding the linkage between crop yields, irrigation frequencies, and fertilizer rates is crucial in region-specific agriculture practices. The present study was conducted to assess the effect of nitrogen fertilizer rates and irrigation frequency on wheat crop growth and yield in the semi-arid region of Rajasthan, India. Twelve treatments with four replicas, combining four nitrogen fertilizers quantities (0, 50, 100, and 125% of recommended dose) with three irrigation intervals (15, 21, and 25 days after sowing) were used for three consecutive years (2014–15, 2015–16, and 2016–17). Crop responses were recorded for different growth stages (stem elongation stage, heading stage, and milking stage). The results showed that the high irrigation frequency and high fertilizer application significantly increased crop growth and yields. Yields observed in the first year of the experiment were higher than those in the second and third years in most treatments. One-way analysis of variance and Fisher's least significant difference pairwise multiple comparison tests were applied to determine significant changes in yield. The results showed that water and fertilizer are the key factors that can affect wheat yield in the semi-arid region of Rajasthan and should be managed according to soil and irrigation availability.