Abstract

Calcium carbide (CaC₂) is a source of acetylene gas which is a well known nitrification inhibitor and converts into ethylene in the soil environment. Ethylene is a potent plant growth regulator and influences a number of biological processes from root growth to leaf senescence. A pot experiment was conducted to study the effect of a calcium carbide based formulation, Matrix-I (21% calcium carbide, 58% polyethylene and 21% plaster of paris), applied at 0, 7.5, 15 and 22.5 mg CaC₂ kg^-1 soil at 0, 4, 8 and 12 cm soil depth, on growth, yield and nitrogen uptake of wheat. Increasing the rate and application depth of Matrix-I, decreased wheat plant height and increased the number of tillers, biological yield, grain yield, 1,000-grains weight and nitrogen uptake by wheat grain and straw. However, when calcium carbide at 22.5 mg kg^-1 soil was applied at greater soil depths, it inversely affected the economical yield of wheat. Comparatively maximum increase in yield parameters of wheat was observed when formulated calcium carbide was buried at 15 mg kg^-1 soil at 8 cm soil depth.

Key words: Wheat, calcium carbide, growth, nitrogen uptake.