Effect of different levels of NPK and organic manures on growth and yield of hybrid maize (Zea mays L.)
*1S. Krishna Kumar, 2S. Kandasamy, 3K. Dhanasekaran and 4Y. Anbuselvam
1,2Department of Agronomy, 3Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry 4Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Faculty of Agriculture, Annamalai University, Annamalai Nagar – 608 002 (India) *sivaparimala.kumar599@gmail.com
ABSTRACT
The field experiment was carried out in farmer’s field in Kugaiyur village, Chinnasalem Taluk, Villupuram District,Tamil Nadu, India during Kharif season of 2018 in order to evaluate the different levels of NPK and organic manures on growth and yield components of hybrid maize. The field experiment was laid out with eleven treatments and replicated thrice with randomized block design. The treatment consist of inorganic manure as 75 % RDF, 100 % RDF and 125 % RDF with vermicompost, poultry manure and pressmud as organic manures. The significant effect of adding 125 % RDF + vermicompost 5 t ha-1 recorded the highest plant height at harvest (182.64 cm), LAI at 60 DAS (6.34), dry matter production at harvest (13339 kg ha-1), cob length (17.92 cm), cob diameter (5.46 cm), number of grains/cob (405.62), grain yield (5780 kg ha-1) and stover yield 7611 (kg ha-1). Control treatment produced a least plant height at harvest (125.68 cm), LAI at 60 DAS (3.32), dry matter production at harvest (6384 kg ha-1), cob length (9.78 cm), cob diameter (2.75 cm), number of grains/cob (140.25), grain yield (2350 kg ha-1) and stover yield 3986 (kg ha-1).