Abstract
Interestingly more than 50% of the world’s area is rainfed and approximately 80% of maize is cultivated under rainfed condition where selection of cultivar and management of nitrogen have major impact on production. The aim of this study was to evaluate the growth, phenology, yield and quality parameters of maize as influenced by variety and nitrogen scheduling under rainfed condition. For this, a field experiment having two factors was laid out in a factorial randomised block design and replicated three times. The first factor was variety, i.e., V1 (JM 216) and V2 (JM 218), and the second was six nitrogen scheduling, i.e., N1 to N6, in which nitrogen splitting was done based on 30-years of average rainfall data. Variety JM 218 and N5 [40 kg N as basal followed by (fb) 2 splits of 40 kg N and 38.8 kg N at 30 and 52 days after sowing (DAS) and 1% N foliar spray at 40 DAS] nitrogen scheduling were found promising under rainfed situation because it recorded maximum value of growth parameters, yield attributes, grain yield and quality parameters (protein, mineral and dickson quality index). Thus, it can be inferred that JM 218 and N5 nitrogen schedule would be a better choice than alternative options.
Highlights
In order to explain the hypothesis of present experiment more clearly Figure 1. has been inserted conceptualizing how the 30-years long-term rainfall data and choice of location specific variety improved nitrogen nutrition. By considering these challenges in rainfed conditions, an experiment was planned through evaluation of varieties with nitrogen scheduling based on 30-years average rainfall data
As shown in results maize growth, yield components, yield and quality parameters were significant (p ≤ 0.05) or highly significant (p ≤ 0.01) affected by variety (V) and nitrogen scheduling based on 30-years average rainfall data (Ns30RF) whereas their interactions (V × Ns30RF) were found to be statistically similar
Nabila et al [31] found that maize cultivar National 6 reported maximum plant height, dry matter (DM), leaf area, leaf area index (LAI) and LAR at 70 days after sowing (DAS) as compared to cultivar T.W. 329, due to morphological differences in variety
Summary
The “Queen of Cereals”, maize (Zea mays L.), is the world’s third-largest cereal crop. The multiple uses of maize as a food, fodder, feed and more recently fuel has further made it a more demand friendly and a high-value crop. Maize is the basis for food security in some of the world’s poverty aligned regions of Africa, Asia and Latin America [1]. 1148.48 million metric tonnes of maize was harvested in 2019 from 197.20 million hectares of land [2]. About 73 percent of this area is located in the developing world. Maize contributes a significant portion of the food consumed by poor communities in developing countries, yet its production is insufficient to meet the requirement of poor people in these areas
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