IMPACT OF POTASSIUM ON GROWTH AND YIELD OF BARLEY (HORDEUM VULGARE L.) UNDER WATER DEFICIT CONDITIONS

Abstract

Potassium plays a major role in enhancing tolerance of plants to drought by increasing translocation and maintaining water balance. A field experiment was undertaken to assess the growth and yield of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) under the various irrigation and potassium levels during 2013-14 in a three replicated split plot design. The treatments consisted of three irrigation levels (I₀ = soaking dose, I₁ = one irrigation at 35 days after sowing (DAS) and I₂ = two irrigations at 35 and 70 DAS), and three potassium levels (K₀ = 0.0 kg ha^-1 (control), K₁ = 25 kg ha^-1 and K₂ = 50 kg ha^-1). The results indicate that irrigation and potassium levels affected significantly (P ? 0.05) the growth and yield of barley. Among irrigation levels, significantly (P ? 0.05) highest grain yield (2474.3 kg ha^-1) was recorded with two irrigations (35 and 70 DAS). In case of potassium levels, considerably (P ? 0.05) maximum grain yield (2430.5 kg ha^-1) was noted with potassium application rate of 50 kg ha^-1. With respect to interactive effects, higher, though statistically equal (P ? 0.05), grain yield (2677.0 and 2570.7 kg ha^-1) was documented in interactive effect of irrigation applied twice (35 and 70 DAS) x potassium applied at 50 kg ha^-1, and one irrigation (35 DAS) x potassium at 50 kg ha^-1, respectively. Our results suggest that potassium  can compensate drought stress and its application at 50 kg ha^-1 coupled with one irrigation (35 DAS) and/or two irrigations (35 and 70 DAS)  can be suitable for obtaining optimum yield of barley.