Volume 15, Issue 59, 2026
Research Article
Effect of Water Stress Levels and Hydrogel Application on Nutrient Content and Uptake of Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)
Manish Meena, Hemraj Jat, Kailash Choudhary, Raju Singh Jakhar and Suman Choudhary
Keywords: Moisture stress, Super absorbent polymer, Nutrient uptake, Water retention
DOI:10.37273/chesci.cs262057062
Abstract
A field experiment entitled was conducted during rabi 2025–26 at the Research Farm, Vivekananda Global University, Jaipur, Rajasthan, to evaluate the effect of different levels of water stress and hydrogel application on nutrient content and nutrient uptake of wheat. The experiment was laid out in a factorial randomized block design with three replications comprising four water stress levels and four hydrogel levels. The results revealed that water stress significantly influenced nutrient concentration and nutrient uptake in wheat. The highest nitrogen (1.82 and 0.43%), phosphorus (0.343 and 0.143%) and potassium content (0.58 and 1.75%) in grain and straw, respectively, were recorded under W1, whereas the lowest values were observed under W2. Hydrogel application caused a slight increase in nutrient content; however, the effect was statistically non-significant. Nutrient uptake by grain and straw was significantly affected by both water stress and hydrogel levels. Among water stress treatments, W1 recorded the highest total nitrogen (129.63 kg ha⁻¹), phosphorus (28.45 kg ha⁻¹) and potassium uptake (144.79 kg ha⁻¹). Among hydrogel treatments, H4 recorded maximum total nitrogen (124.51 kg ha⁻¹), phosphorus (26.98 kg ha⁻¹) and potassium uptake (136.69 kg ha⁻¹). The study indicated that hydrogel application improved nutrient uptake and helped mitigate the adverse effects of moisture stress by enhancing soil moisture availability.
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