Effect of weed management practices on yield and nutrient uptake of fodder maize (Zea mays L.)

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted at College farm, College of Agriculture, Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad during kharif 2017. The experiment was laid out in randomized block design with nine treatments and three replications. The soil of the experimental field was sandy loam in texture, neutral in reaction (pH 7.38) and available nitrogen (264.6 kg/ha), phosphorus (30.9 kg/ha) and potassium (299.8 kg/ha). Green, dry fodder and crude protein yield was significantly higher (68.26 t/ha, 15.51 t/ha and 1364 kg/ha respectively) with hand weeding at 20 and 40 DAS and it was closely followed by topramezone 33.6% SC @ 25.2 g a.i ha-1 + atrazine 50% WP @ 500 g a.i ha-1 tank mix as PoE at 20 DAS (64.94 t/ha, 14.76 t/ha and 1312 kg/ha respectively) and tembotrione 42% SC @ 105 g a.i ha-1 + atrazine 50% WP @ 500 g a.i ha-1 tank mix as PoE at 20 DAS (63.38 t/ha, 14.41 t/ha and 1286 kg/ha respectively). Hand weeding at 20 and 40 DAS recorded highest uptake of N, P, K by crop (218.38 kg/ha, 42.73 kg/ha and 178.86 kg/ha respectively), which was on par with topramezone 33.6% SC @ 25.2 g a.i ha-1 + atrazine 50% WP @ 500 g a.i ha-1 tank mix as PoE at 20 DAS (210.03 kg/ha, 40.07 kg/ha and 168.71 kg/ha respectively) and tembotrione 42% SC @ 105 g a.i ha-1 + atrazine 50% WP @ 500 g a.i ha-1 tank mix as PoE at 20 DAS (205.87 kg/ha, 38.43 kg/ha and 161.44 kg/ha).