Evaluating temperature thresholds and optimizing sowing dates of wheat in Bihar

Studies on wheat-weather relationship were carried out at Pusa (25.98 oN, 85.67 oE, 52 m), Bihar situated in middle Gangetic plains of India, with three popular wheat cultivars viz. RW 3711, HD 2824 and HD273, grown under five fixed dates of sowing viz. 15 November, 25 November, 5 December, 15 December and 25 December, for five consecutive rabi seasons from 2011-12 to 2015-16. Thresholds of maximum temperature (Tmax), minimum temperature (Tmin) and bright sunshine hours (BSH), associated with higher productivity, occurring at different phenophases, were determined. Results revealed that temperature played a crucial role in achieving higher grain yield of wheat. Both Tmax and Tmin during flowering to milking and flowering to maturity phases increased with delayed sowing dates beyond 25 November with consequent reductions in grain yield. During 50 % flowering to milk stage, Tmax and Tmin above 24.6 oC and 11.6 oC, respectively, reduced grain yield below 4000 kg ha-1; significant reduction in grain yield was also noted beyond maximum temperature of 26.9 oC. During flowering to milk and flowering to maturity phases, Tmax and Tmin exhibited highly significant negative correlation with grain yield, indicating higher temperatures causing lower grain yield. With delayed sowing, sensitive phases of the crop experienced higher air temperatures which led to reduction in grain yield. An increase of Tmax from 29.2 to 32.1 oC during flowering to maturity phases reduced the wheat productivity drastically in this region of Indo-Gangetic plains. Grain yield declined by 399 kg ha-1 per 1 oC rise in Tmax during 50 % flowering to maturity stage. Considering grain yield vis-à-vis temperature regimes during flowering to maturity stage, the most important recommendation for the farmers of the region would be to finish wheat sowing before 25 November in order to enable them to escape terminal heat stress in wheat and thereby realizing higher grain yield. The anthesis-time management by manipulating sowing dates could be a realistic adaptation strategy for attaining optimum grain yield under changing climate scenario.