Soil Requirement :
- Neutral pH.
- Good structure.
- Wheat can be cultivated on wide range of soil type including clay loam to loamy tecture.
- Moderate water and nutrient holding capacity.
- It is sensitive to water lodging so drainage is provided.
Land preparation :
- Conventional tillage : 2-3 times ploughing followed by planking.
- Minimum tillage : 1-2 time ploghing followed by planking.
- Zero tillage : Here , tillage operation is restricted to row zone just for placing seed to soil in a line.
Seed selection :
- Seed should be selected according to agro-climatic condition , land type and soil properties that adjust the cropping pattern , fulfill goal of farmers.
- Seed should be bought from authorized dealer with tag or level attached.
- Treat the seed as per necessity with chemicals like vitavex @2.5g/kg seed to control seed borne fungal disease like rust.
- Seed should have following quality : at least 85 % germination capacity , moisture content max. 12 % , physical purity 98 %.
- If the farmers use his own seed , select healthy seed and conduct germination test.
Sowing time :
- Optimum sowing time for terai region is mid of November (Mangsir first).
- Optimum sowing time for hilly region is mid of October (Kartik first).
- Sowing can be delayed up to end of November (mid of Mangsir).
- However , delay in sowing beyond end of November decreases yield @ 25-30 kg/ha/day.
Seed rate :
- depends upon varieties , seed size , germination percentage , time and method of sowing.
- 100 kg/ha under normal sowing time , line sowing , small size seed.
- 120 kg/ha under late sowing , broadcasting and larger size seed.
- Seed rate may goes up to 150 kg/ha under extreme conditions.
Spacing : 20 x 5 m2
- Under late sowing condition , narrow spacing and high seed rate practice should be followed.
Spacing depth :
- depends upon sowing time.
- 5 cm under normal condition and improved varieties.
- 5-8 cm for traditional varieties.
- < 5 cm for late sowing.