Raised bed planting - a new technique for enhancing water use efficiency in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in semi-arid zone

Field experiments were conducted in 2002-03 and 2003-04 growing seasons to compare conventional, flood irrigated, flat planting with furrow irrigated, raised bed planting for wheat. Four planting techniques i.e., (PT1 ) Flat sowing with 22 cm RxR distance, (PT2 ) Flat sowing with 11 cm RxR distance, (PT3 ) Bed sowing with 11 cm RxR distance (3 rows; 34 cm bed width), (PT4 ) Bed sowing with 11 cm RxR distance (6 rows; 68 cm bed width) were tested on two varieties of wheat i.e. (V1) Inqlab-91 and (V2 ) New line 97050. The experiment was conducted at the research area of the Department of Crop Physiology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan. (PT2) Flat sowing with 11 cm RxR distance and (V2) New line 97050 gave positive effect on grain yield increase. The water use efficiency (WUE) was maximum under the treatment where crop was sown on beds with 68 cm bed width having six rows as compared to conventional flat sowing. New line (97050) was more efficient in utilizing the applied irrigation water and produced more grain yield, number of spikes m-2, grains spike-1 and grain weight in each planting technique as compared to Inqlab -91.