Effect of Levels and Times of N Application on Growth , Development and Grain Yield of Spring Wheat ’Ghods’

Effect of different times and levels of nitrogen fertilizer application on growth and grain yield of spring wheat cultivar “Ghods” was studied during 1993-1994 growing season at Karkadj, Agricultural Experiment Station, College of Agriculture, University of Tabriz, using a split plot design with three replications. Main plots were assigned to five levels of N fertilizers (0, 40, 80, 120 and 160 kg/ha) and subplots to five times of applications [all of N fertilizer at planting (T0</sub></sup>) 1/2 at planting + 1/2 during tillering stage (T1</sub>), 1/2 at planting + 1/2 during heading stage (T2</sub>), 1/3 at planting + 1/3 during tillering and 1/3 at heading stages (T3</sub>) and 1/4 at planting + 1/4 at tillering + 1/4 at stem elongation and 1/4 at heading (T4</sub>)]. Results showed that different levels of N applications affected grain yield and biological yield significantly, while the effect of split application and also N levels × times of application interaction on these two traits were non-significant. Growth stages of wheat were not significantly affected by different N Levels and times of application. Dry matter accumulation, leaf area index, and crop growth rate, in response to growing degree days during growing season, increased when higher levels of N fertilizer were applied. Leaf area index and crop growth rate initially increased up to anthesis and then decreased. Crop growth rate decreased to zero level at soft dough stage and then became negative. Variations in relative growth rate and net assimilation rate, in relation to growing degree days, decreased when different levels of N fertilizer were applied at early part of growing season it was maximum while at later growth stages decreased and finally became negative, Times of N application and level × time interaction during growing season did not affect the growth indices significantly.