Moisture Conservation and Nutrient Management Practices on Growth and Yield of Maize (Zea Mays L.)

Binoy Chhetri,A.C Sinha

doi:10.12944/carj.7.3.15

Abstract

Plant nutrients and soil moisture are considered some of the most important factors affecting physiological characters and grain yield of maize. Therefore, a field experiment was conducted at UBKV, Cooch Behar, West Bengal during 2013 and 2014 to study the effects of moisture conservation and nutrient management practices on growth and yield of maize (Zea mays L.). The experiment was laid out in a split –plot design with three replications. Four levels of moisture conservation practices M0: without irrigation and without mulch, M1: irrigation as and when required, M2: dry weed biomass mulch @5.0t ha-1 M3: FYM mulch @ 5.0 t ha-1 were assigned to main plots and four levels of nutrient management N1: 100% RDF 80:40:40 kg ha-1 of N:P2O5: K2O N2:100% RDF + phosphate solubilising bacteria (PSB) + Azotobacter N3:75% RDF+ PSB + Azotobacter + vermicompost (VC) @ 5.0 t ha-1 and N4:50% RDF + PSB + Azotobacter + 50% vermicompost @ 2.5t ha-1 for sub plot. Among the moisture conservation practices, application of irrigation recorded the highest growth, yield attributes, yield and harvest index followed by FYM mulch and dry weed bio-mass mulch. Similarly, N, P and K uptake of maize was recorded highest under irrigation followed by FYM mulch; dry weed bio mass mulch and lowest N, P and K uptake were recorded under without irrigation and mulch. Among the nutrient management practices the highest growth, yield attributes, yield, harvest index and N, P & K uptake were recorded under 75% RDF + PSB + Azotobacter + vermicompost @ 5.0 t ha-1 followed by 100% RDF + PSB+ Azotobacter & 100% RDF and lowest were recorded under 50% RDF + PSB + Azotobacter + 50% vermicompost 2.5 t ha-1 . Likewise, maximum benefits were recorded under 75% RDF + PSB+ Azotobacter + vermicompost @ 5.0 t ha-1 and lowest net return and return per rupee invested were recorded under 50% RDF + PSB + Azotobacter + 50% vermicompost 2.5 t ha-1. From this study, maize grown with irrigation and supplied with 75% RDF + PSB + Azotobacter + vermicompost @ 5.0 t ha-1 is found the best for obtaining overall gain on a sustainable basis.

Highlights

Maize (Zea mays L.) is an annual C4 plant belonging to the grassy family Poaceae
Apart from this, the productivity of maize is limited due to moisture stress[6] and this could be achieved by soil and nutrient management practices as these are of paramount concern to conserve soil moisture, improve the productivity and fertility.[7]
Considering the above mentioned reason, this study was carried out to find out the effects of moisture conservation and nutrient management practices on growth, yield attributes, yield and nutrient uptake of maize

Summary

Introduction

Maize (Zea mays L.) is an annual C4 plant belonging to the grassy family Poaceae. After rice and wheat, maize is the third most important food crops of India and it is currently cultivated in an area 8.49 m ha-1 with a production of 21.28 mt and productivity of 2507 kg ha-1.1 in West Bengal, maize productivity was only 39.4 q ha-1 with the total production of 0.39 mt from the total area of 0.10 mha.[2]. Lack of adequate moisture in seed zone during seeding is the major constrains for establishment of crop.[5] Apart from this, the productivity of maize is limited due to moisture stress[6] and this could be achieved by soil and nutrient management practices as these are of paramount concern to conserve soil moisture, improve the productivity and fertility.[7] To overcome of this problem, mulching is an important practice for soil moisture conservation in rainfed condition and it could be greatly increased by imposition of mulches on soil surface.[8] Mulch restricts the transport of water vapour from soil surface to microclimate, which diminish the direct evaporation loss of water[9,10] and increases the availability of soil water to the crops[11] regulates of soil temperature.[12] Considering the above mentioned reason, this study was carried out to find out the effects of moisture conservation and nutrient management practices on growth, yield attributes, yield and nutrient uptake of maize

Materials and Methods

Findings

Influence of tillage practices and mulching