International Journal of Agriculture Extension and Social Development

author(s)
Praveen Kumar, Dr. Paritosh Kumar, Dr. Lalbabu Kumar, Dr. Prabhat Kumar, Diwakar Paswan and Dr. DK Mahto

abstract
The present study entitled “Assessment of suitable sowing time of wheat to avoid the terminal heat under late sown conditions” was conducted during Rabi season 2022-23 at nine (09) farmers’ fields and the Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) farm, Amas, Gaya, Bihar. The main objective of the investigation was to evaluate the effect of different sowing dates and wheat varieties on growth, yield attributes, and yield, and to identify the most profitable treatment combination under late sown conditions. The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Block Design (RBD) with ten replications and four sowing date treatments (25^th November, 5^th December, 15^th December, and 25^th December). Among the treatments, the wheat variety Sabour Nirjal sown on 25^th November recorded superior performance in all major growth and yield parameters. It exhibited the maximum plant height (86.50 cm), ear length (13.14 cm), number of grains per ear (41.90), and 1000 grain weight (45.50 g), leading to the highest grain yield (26.50 q/ha). Economic analysis also revealed that Sabour Nirjal sown on 25^th November gave the highest net return of ?31,428 per hectare with a benefit cost (B:C) ratio of 2.13, which was considerably higher than the returns obtained from sowings on 5^th, 15^th, and 25^th December. The delayed sowing dates suffered from reduced yield and profitability due to the adverse effect of terminal heat during the grain filling stage. Therefore, the results clearly indicate that sowing of wheat variety Sabour Nirjal on 25^th November is the most suitable and economically viable option for farmers in the Gaya region under late sown conditions to mitigate the negative impacts of terminal heat stress and achieve higher productivity and profitability.