Vol. 7, Issue 11, Part A (2025)

A field experiment was conducted during the Rabi seasons of 2021-22 and 2022-23 at Agricultural Research Farm, Department of Agronomy, Raja Balwant Singh College, Bichpuri (Agra). The variables involved in this study were Irrigation scheduling (Main plot) viz., control (No irrigation, I₀), Active tillering at 30-35 DAS (I₁) and Active tillering at 30-35 DAS, flag leaf at 60-65 DAS and milking at 80-85 DAS (I₂) along with Nitrogen levels (Sub plot) viz., 75% RDN (45 kg N )+ 30 kg P₂O₅ + 20 kg K₂O) (N₁) and 100% RDN (60 kg N) + 30 kg P₂O₅ + 20 kg K₂O) (N₂); C. Hydrogel levels (Sub-sub plot) viz., control (No hydrogel, H₀), Pusa Hydrogel @ 2.5 kg ha^-1 (H₁), Pusa Hydrogel @ 5.0 kg ha^-1 (H₂) and Pusa Hydrogel @ 7.5 kg ha^-1 (H₃). Thus, all factors were compared in a split plot design with three replications. Results revealed that the application of Pusa Hydrogel @ 7.5 kg ha⁻¹ (H₃) significantly enhanced water-related parameters of barley crop. The treatment recorded the highest soil moisture content (20.85–20.88%), soil moisture extraction (13.60–13.64%), water use efficiency (16.21–16.26 kg ha⁻¹ mm), consumptive use of water (30.12–30.18 cm), and relative water content (73.80–73.98%), while the lowest values for all these parameters were observed under the control (no hydrogel).