Influence of Vrkshayurvedic Practices on Growth and Yield of Maize (Zea mays L.)

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted to study the effect of Vrkshayurvedic farming on yield attributes of maize at central farm of Agricultural College and Research Institute, TNAU, Madurai from September 2009 to January 2010. The experiment consisted of 20 treatments: five different green leaf manures (Albizia lebbek, Gliricidia sepium, Leucaena leucocephala, Delonix regia, Peltophorum ferrugineum) @ 5 t ha -1 as basal nutrition in main plot and four different tree leaf extracts (Alangium salvifolium, Aegle marmelos, Morinda tinctoria, Annona squamosa) @ 5 % in the form of five foliar sprays at 25, 39, 53, 67 and 82 DAS in sub plot. The results indicated that there were significant differences in yield attributes of maize due to the incorporation of green leaf manures and foliar spraying of tree leaf extracts. All the yield parameters were found to be high in the plot that received Albizia lebbek as green leaf manure with foliar spraying of Annona squamosa. The highest yield of 1820 kg ha -1 was recorded in the plot that received Albizia lebbek as green leaf manure and foliar sprays of Annona squamosa, which was six times higher than the zero input management and almost 50 per cent of the yield realized from high input management (CPG management). The economic analysis showed that higher net return of Rs. 20367 ha -1 and benefit cost ratio 1:2.26 were recorded by the treatment combination of Albizia lebbek and Annona squamosa.