Study of Raised Bed Planting Method on Yield and Yield Components of Wheat in Kabul

Wheat cultivation as a broadcast planting method is commonly used for growing wheat in Afghanistan and the crop is irrigated by flood irrigation but it leads to ineffective use of applied nitrogen owing to poor aeration and leaching and volatilization losses. These practices lead to lodging, lower water use efficiency and decreased yield. The wheat cultivation in raised bed planting not only saves water but improved fertilizer use efficiency and grain yield increased. The results of two sites data showed that wheat planting increase grain yield by 21 %, 1000 grain weight 30.5 %, stand population percentage 15.7 %, net income 20.80 %, biological yield 29 %, grain weight per spike 24.1 %, the number of spikelet per spike 20.7 %, the number of grain per spike 17.6 %, spike length 20.8 %, the total number of tillers 10.8 % and plant height 14.2 % under Raised Bed (75cm) planting method increased relative to Flat Line sowing method with an equal application of fertilizers. The data pertaining to the economic analysis revealed that the maximum net income of (AFN. 74000) was obtained in case of Raised Bed (75 cm each bed) planting method apart, followed by Raised Bed (200, cm each bed) planting method (AFN. 61540) and Flat Line sowing method (AFN. 58550) and the lowest net field income was recorded (AFN. 57500) in Ridge-Line sowing and was also attributed to the lower grain and biological yields.