Effect of malt barley varieties and nitrogen levels on crop phenology, PAR interception, GDD, RUE and thermal use efficiency under saline water irrigation

Barley is one of the most salt tolerant crops and can be adopted in a condition where the irrigation quality of the water is saline in nature. Due to uncertainty of rainfall and scarcity of water, farmers of Haryana often irrigate the crops with poor quality water and this situation is likely to become more alarming with the depleting water resources. Therefore, an experiment was conducted at CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar during rabi seasons of 2017-18 and 2018-19 to evaluate the effect of different malt barley varieties and nitrogen levels on crop phenology, PAR interception, GDD, radiation use efficiency and thermal use efficiency. The experiment was laid out in split plot design by keeping four varieties (BH 902, BH 946, BH 885 and DWRB 101) in main plots and four nitrogen levels (0, 30, 60 and 90 kg/ha) in sub plots with four replications. Variety BH 902 recorded significantly higher grain yield and took maximum number of days for flag leaf emergence, spike initiation and physiological maturity than variety BH 946, BH 885 and DWRB 101, respectively. Highest GDD, radiation use efficiency and thermal use efficiency was recorded by variety BH 946 which was statistical at par with DWRB 101 and significantly higher than BH 902 and BH 885. Application of 90 kg N/ha took maximum number of days for flag leaf emergence, spike initiation and physiological maturity as well as recorded higher GDD, radiation use efficiency and thermal use efficiency as compared to 0, 30 and 60 kg N/ha.