Impact of Pusa Hydrogel Application on Yield and Productivity of Rainfed Wheat in North West Himalayan Region

Farmers in the North West Himalayan region generally practise rainfed agriculture and have very limited scope for irrigation. Water scarcity is a major constraint for crop production in these areas. This problem exacerbates further during the Rabi season where vagaries of winter rain result in complete crop failure. This study was conducted in the Raipur Block of Dehradun district in the farmer’s field to study the impact of hydrogel on yield and productivity of wheat. Hydrogel is a hydrophilic polymer having high water holding capacity and can provide water to crops during moisture stress. Hydrogel was applied in the field in Rabi wheat with two broad treatments, i.e. with hydrogel (WH) and without hydrogel (WHO). Each treatment was replicated ten times, i.e. ten demonstrations were laid out in the field conditions. Hydrogel was applied at the rate of 5 kg ha^–1 and observations related to various plant growth parameters and yield were recorded. The plant population in hydrogel plots increased by 22% compared to the non-hydrogel treated plots. The effective tillers, plant height, ear length and grains per ear significantly improved due to hydrogel application. The total yield as well as grain yield increased significantly after hydrogel amendment. The improved performance of wheat upon hydrogel application was evident in the field. This technology could be promising in terms of productivity improvement of rainfed crops and in combating the moisture stress in agriculture.