EFFECT OF SOWING METHODS, SEEDING RATES AND NITROGEN ERTILIZATION ON PRODUCTIVITY OF SOME WHEAT CULTIVARS.

Abstract

Wheat is the most important crop in terms of area and production and is a stable food for more than one third of the world population. Wheat contributes more calories and protein in the world diet than any other food crop.

In Egypt, wheat is the main winter cereal crop. It used as a stable food grain for urban or rural societies and as a major source of straw for animal feeding. The wheat area over the last 10 years (1989 - 1999) has been expanded 2.4 million feddan*. Increasing production per unit area of wheat , appears to be one of the important factors for narrowing the wheat production gab . Total wheat consumption has increased drastically due to overall population growth of about 2.5 % per year . Egypt imports about 45 percent of its need from wheat .This reflects the size of the problem and the effort is needed to increase wheat production. This can be achieved by breeding high yielding varieties and by the application of improved agro - techniques.

Development of high -yielding and adapted varieties is a key to the future improvement of wheat production . The strategy of the national wheat research program (N W R P) is to select from among introductions and regionally collected conditions and good tolerance to the major pests. The number of grown varieties are relativel y high, as the policy is to raise more than one variety per given location, on condition that those cultivars should carry various genes for resistance against the three rusts as the main diseases confronting wheat production in Egypt. This policy helped to save guard the crop and to buffer against sudden break of rust attach.