Response of sunflower hybrids to nitrogen application grown under different agro-environments |
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Authors: | Wajid Nasim Ashfaq Ahmad Shakeel Ahmad Muhammad Nadeem Nasir Masood Muhammad Shahid |
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Affiliation: | 1. Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, The University of Georgia, Griffin, GA, USA;2. Department of Environmental Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Vehari, Pakistan;3. Agro-Climatology Laboratory, Department of Agronomy, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan;4. Agro-Climatology Laboratory, Department of Agronomy, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan;5. Department of Agronomy, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, Pakistan;6. Department of Environmental Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Vehari, Pakistan |
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Abstract: | A wide gap exists between production and consumption of vegetable oils in Pakistan. Thereby, a significant proportion (2.28 million tons) of vegetable oils is being imported at the cost of 2257 million US$. Therefore, the present study was conducted to quantify the comparative performance of various sunflower hybrids as influenced by various levels of nitrogen (N) fertilizer under different agro-environments. The experimental treatments consisted of three sunflower hybrids (Hysun33, Hysun38, and Pioneer-64A93) and five levels of N fertilizer (0, 60, 120, 180, 240 kg N ha?1), arranged in a randomized complete block design in a split plot with four replications. The field trials were conducted for two consecutive crop seasons under three different agro-ecologies (arid, semi-arid, and sub-humid) in the province of Punjab, Pakistan. The results of the study demonstrated that the productivity of sunflower hybrids varied greatly in response to N fertilization and different ecologies. Maximum achene yield of 3177 kg ha?1 was harvested under sub-humid environment, followed by the semi-arid one. Among the hybrids, Hysun38 excelled the other two hybrids with a production of 3083 kg ha?1 and 41% oil contents. Generally, the productivity of hybrids increased with the increasing doses of N fertilizer. Maximum achene yield was obtained by addition of 180 kg N ha?1. The findings of the study revealed that yield potential of Hysun-38 could be exploited by addition of N fertilizer at the rate of 180 kg N ha?1 under sub-humid environment. |
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Keywords: | Helianthus annuus L. hybrids dry matter accumulation leaf area index achene yield achene oil content |
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