Influence of Cultivation System and Row Spacing on Agronomic Traits of Irrigated Wheat

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is one of the world's most important food crops, playing a strategic role in global food security and in reducing Brazil’s dependence on imports. The no-till system is vital for sustainable agriculture, promoting soil and water conservation while enhancing productivity over time. Optimizing row spacing is essential to improve plant arrangement, resource use efficiency, and others. This study aimed to evaluate wheat cultivars recommended for Minas Gerais under two cultivation systems (conventional and no-till) and two row spacings. A randomized block design with split plots was used, comprising 16 treatments and four replications in two adjacent strips—one under conventional tillage and the other under no-till. Main plots were row spacings (17 cm and 34 cm), and subplots consisted of the four cultivars. Agronomic traits evaluated included plant height, number of grains per ear, thousand-grain weight, hectoliter weight, and grain yield. The cultivation system (conventional or no-till) had no significant effect on grain yield. However, the 17 cm spacing resulted in the highest yields across both systems. These findings suggest that irrigated wheat can be successfully cultivated under either system, with narrower row spacing offering greater productivity potential.