Combating the harm effects of weather change on wheat using climate smart technologies in eastern Uttar Pradesh

Influence of weather change on wheat yield, productivity, crop phenology, accumulation of growing degree days (GDD), biomass and heat use efficiency (HUE) studied under field condition through the accumulated heat unit system. An on farm trial in farmer participatory mode were conducted at 5 location of each districts namely Basti, Gorakhpur and Siddharthnagar by selecting cooperator and well equipped farmers in these districts. Trials were conducted under irrigated ecosystem during Rabi season 2014-2015 and 2015-2016. The treatment comprises four sowing dates (3 November, 18 November, 3 December and 18 December) and 3 tillage practices (zero tillage, conventional tillage and reduced tillage). Highest accumulation of GDD (1904 & 1907), lowest phenol thermal index (PTI) (10.0 and 9.2) and highest grain yield was recorded with early sowing (3 November.) of wheat in both the years but highest HUE (2.52 and 2.48 kg grain/ha/GDD) was recorded with 18th November sowing of wheat in both the years. Among the tillage practices highest accumulated GDD and HUE with low PTI was recorded with zero till sowing of wheat. Yield reduction after 3rd November sown crop varied with tillage practices. Calculated for delays after the optimum date, grain yield decreased at the rate of 29.1, 35.3 and 44.8 kg /ha/day delayed sowing with ZT, CT and RT sown crop, respectively during 2014-15. While during 2015-16 it was 30.9, 32.3 and 32.3 kg/ha/day. Corresponding values on a relative basis for these tillage practices were 0.60, 0.76 and 0.99 per cent /day during 2014-15 and during 2015-16 it was 0.62, 0.67 and 0.70 per cent /day, respectively. Heading to dough stage, the most thermally sensitive phase, late sown crop was exposed to higher air temperature compared to earlier sown crop. It was also observed that high temperature during heading to milking and milking to dough stage gave forced maturity to the crop by reducing crop duration by 9, 22 and 29 days in 18th November, 3rd, and 18th December sown crop and maximum effect was observed in reduced tillage crop (using one time rotawator).