Natural Mulches Effect on the Yield of White Maize

Abstract

The experiment was conducted at the experimental field of Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University during the period from November 2015 to May 2016, Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka-1207, to find out the effect of organic mulches on the yield of white maize. This experiment was comprised of two factors. Factor A: Variety (2): V1 = Shuvra; V2 = KS-510 and Factor B: Indigenous mulch materials (5): T1 = Control (without mulch); T2 = Water hyacinth; T3 = Rice straw; T4 = Rice husk; T5 = Ash. The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications and the differences between means were separated by both Duncan’s New Multiple Range Test (DMRT) and Least Significant Difference (LSD) test at 5% level of probability. Mulches showed significant effects on most of the parameters. In the case of variety, the highest grain yield (12.963ton per ha) was recorded from V2. Different organic mulch materials showed different values, the highest values were recorded from T3. Due to this (T3) mulch material. The water retentive capacity of the mulched soil was higher at all the stages of plant growth and ranked in the order of rice straw > water hyacinth > rice husk > ash > control. The highest grain yield (17.407ton per ha) was recorded from T3. . In case of interaction all yield attributing characters include grain yield (19.043ton per ha) was recorded from V2T3. So, KS-510 variety and rice straw mulch combinedly had outstanding superiority for morphophysiological and yield attributes in white maize over the other organic mulches.