Response of kharif maize under different mulching and integrated nutrient management practices in eastern region of Uttar Pradesh

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted in a split-plot design during the kharif seasons of 2017 at Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, to evaluate the relative performance of different mulching, viz. M1:control (no mulch), M2:dust mulch and M3:rice straw mulch and integrated nutrient management include S1:100% RDF, S2:75% RDF + 25% N through poultry manure, S3: 100% RDF + 25% N through poultry manure, S4: 75% RDF + 25% N through FYM and S5: 100% RDF + 25% N through FYM on growth and yield kharif maize (Zea maize L.). The recommended dose of fertilizer (RDF) for rice was 120, 60 and 60 kg ha-1 of N, P2O5 and K2O respectively. Various growth parameters and yield of maize showed significant variation under different mulching and integrated nutrient management practices. Among the mulching treatments, dust mulch significantly recorded number of leafs, plant height (cm), leaf area index at 75 DAS, chlorophyll content at 75 DAS (spad value), grain yield (q ha-1) and stover yield (q ha-1) of maize over control (no mulch) and it were at par with the rice straw mulch, respectively. Applications of integrated nutrient management practices were positively correlated with various growth parameters and yield of kharif maize. Among the integrated nutrient management, application of S3: 100% RDF + 25% N through poultry manure recorded significantly highest number of leafs, plant height (cm), leaf area index at 75 DAS, chlorophyll content at 75 DAS (spad value), grain yield (q ha-1) and stover yield (q ha-1) as compared to S2:75% RDF + 25% N through poultry manure, S4: 75% RDF + 25% N through FYM and S5:100% RDF and it were at par with S5: 100% RDF + 25% N through FYM, respectively