Retorting methods of silicon supply on growth stages of spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) through skipped irrigation system

Abstract Plants are exposed to various abiotic stressors in agricultural systems, especially drought stressors, which hinder plant growth and development. Two years field studies have been carried out on two wheat genotypes viz; chakwal-50 (drought tolerant) and sehar-06 (drought sensitive) under skipped irrigation systems via ; three methods of silicon (Si) supply along with control treatment at Research Farm Area, Department of Agronomy, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Punjab-Pakistan, were focused to optimize method and time of exogenous Si supply under field environment. Irrigation was skipped at tillering growth stage (irrigation skipped at tillering = I 1 ) and at anthesis growth stage (irrigations skipped at anthesis = I 2 ) with controlled irrigation (no irrigation skipped = I 0 ). When plants were grown under normal irrigation (I 0 = no skipped irrigation) conditions with Si application at tillering, genotype Sehar-06 performed very well with maximum number of tillers (538 m − 2 ), number of fertile tillers (494 m − 2 ), spike length (12.13 cm), number of spikelet spike − 1 (21.97), number of grains spike − 1 (54.60), grain and biological yield (5.20 tha − 1 and 11.88 tha − 1 , respectively) and harvest index (40.35%), compared to other irrigation treatments (I 1 and I 2 ) during both the years 2011-12 and 2012-13. However, genotype chakwal-50 produced highest BY (12.68 tha − 1 ) and GY (5.04 tha − 1 ) as compared to sehar-06 with utilization of silicon fertigation (soil applied) method at tillering. When irrigation was skipped at anthesis stage (I 2 ), plants of chakwal-50 performed very well with maximum GY (5.20 tha − 1 ) as compared to sehar-06. Under normal irrigation (I 0 ) along with Si tillering Sehar-06 gained more GY (5.13 tha − 1 ), as chakwal-50 is drought tolerant genotype and gave more GY (4.91 tha − 1 ) at anthesis through Si seed priming. Chakwal-50 produced more grain yield with exogenous Si application under fertigation method at tillering and followed by seed priming.