Effect of Seeding Rate on Yield and Yield Components of Wheat

Abstract

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is a major global cereal crop and the principal staple food in Afghanistan. Optimizing seeding rate is essential for improving plant growth, grain yield, and productivity under diverse agro-ecological conditions. This study assessed the effect of seeding rate on wheat yield and yield components during the fall season of 2024 (September–November) at the Research Farm of the Agriculture Faculty, Badakhshan University, Afghanistan. The experiment was conducted under local climatic conditions using a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. Five seeding rates (80, 100, 120, 140, and 160 kg ha⁻¹) were tested. We applied standard agronomic practices, including land preparation, fertilization with urea and diammonium phosphate, and crop management. Data were collected from randomly selected plants, excluding border rows. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) indicated that seeding rate significantly (p < 0.05) influenced all measured yield and yield components. The intermediate rate of 120 kg ha⁻¹ showed the best overall performance, including the highest plant height (93.41 cm), leaf area (4.66), number of tillers per plant (10.69), thousand seed weight (45 g), and grain yield (3.898 t ha⁻¹). Lower rates (80 and 100 kg ha⁻¹) reduced growth and yield, likely due to inadequate plant population, while higher rates (140 and 160 kg ha⁻¹) showed no further improvement and sometimes reduced seed weight due to increased competition. These findings suggest that a seeding rate of 120 kg ha⁻¹ is optimum for maximizing wheat productivity under the agro-ecological conditions of Badakhshan, Afghanistan, and may provide a practical recommendation for wheat growers in similar environments.