Asian Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition

Wheat productivity is strongly influenced by sowing time and varietal suitability because these factors determine crop exposure to favourable environmental conditions during vegetative and reproductive development. Delayed sowing may expose wheat to higher temperatures during flowering and grain filling, resulting in shortened crop duration and reduced yield potential. Therefore, identifying suitable combinations of sowing dates and wheat varieties is important for improving productivity under specific agro-climatic conditions. The study evaluated the effects of sowing date and variety on the growth, yield attributes, grain yield, and economic performance of wheat under the agro-climatic conditions of Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, during the rabi season of 2025–26. A factorial randomised block design with three replications was used to assess three sowing dates (15 November, 30 November, and 15 December) and three varieties (GW 513, HI 1634, and JW 3465). Plant population at 15 days after sowing was not significantly affected by sowing date; however, the study indicated significant varietal and sowing date × variety interaction effects. However, growth parameters, including plant height, tiller number, and dry matter accumulation, were generally superior with sowing on 15 November. JW 3465 also showed the strongest performance among the evaluated varieties. Yield attributes followed a similar pattern, with timely sowing and JW 3465 recording comparatively greater panicle length, grains per panicle, and test weight. The highest grain yield (59.4 q ha⁻¹) was recorded for the 15 November × JW 3465 combination, whereas the lowest yield (46.9 q ha⁻¹) occurred with 15 December × GW 513. The manuscript’s economic analysis likewise identified the 15 November × JW 3465 treatment as the most favourable combination. Overall, the findings indicate that timely sowing with JW 3465 provided the best growth and grain-yield response among the treatments evaluated under the experimental conditions.