Nitrogen-management strategy through leaf-colour chart and SPAD meter for optimizing the productivity in irrigated wheat (Triticum aestivum)

A field experiment was conducted during the winter (rabi) season of 2020–21 at Bihar Agricultural University, Sabour, Bhagalpur, to study effect leaf-colour chart (LCC) and SPAD meter on productivity irrigated wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). The experiment, having 8 treatments, laid out in a randomized block design. first 4 treatments (T1 T4 ) were LCC-based, T5 T6 meter-based management practices T7 considered as fixed-time N (FTNM) T8 kept control where no applied. SPADbased received 140 kg N/ha which higher than all other resulted 13% ears/m2 18% grains/ear over LCC-based N-management treatments. Among practice, treatment recorded significantly highest grain yield (4.01 t/ha) but lower (10.4%) that achieved treatment. T1 T3 though dose fertilizer (19%; average compared FTNM (T7 ), returns maintained similar components with FTNM. Therefore, use farmers’ friendly cost-effective tool LCC is very useful saved (19%) without hampering components. Thus, may be effective for efficient need-based using improving crop growth rational manner.