Performance of rabi maize to fertigation durations and nitrogen levels

Abstract

A field trial was conducted on clay soils of Advanced Post Graduate Centre, Lam, Guntur to study the effect of different nitrogen fertigation levels at different stages of maize on growth, yield attributes and yield of maize during rabi 2019-20. The experiment was laid out in RBD with twelve treatments i.e., 100% recommended dose of nitrogen (RDN) through soil application under surface irrigation (T1), 100% and 75% RDN through soil application under drip irrigation (T2 and T3 respectively), 100%, 75% and 50% RDN through fertigation up to 60 DAS (T4, T5 and T6 respectively), 100%, 75% and 50% RDN through fertigation up to 75 DAS (T7, T8 and T9 respectively) and 100%, 75% and 50% RDN through fertigation up to 90 DAS (T10, T11 and T12 respectively) and they were replicated thrice. At 90 DAS, among different surface application and nitrogen fertigation levels, the plants that received 100% RDN through fertigation up to 60 DAS (T4) recorded the highest plant height. Whereas, at harvest, highest dry matter and lower number of days to 50% flowering were observed with 100% RDN through fertigation up to 90 DAS (T10). Maize plants fertigated with 100% RDN up to 90 DAS (T10) recorded higher yield attributes and kernel yield when compared to other treatments.