Effect of Herbicide Combinations and Sulphur on Productivity of Quality Protein Maize (Zea mays L.)

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Date
2012
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MPUAT, Udaipur
Abstract
A field experiment was conducted during kharif seasons of 2009 and 2010 at Instructional Farm (Agronomy), Rajasthan College of Agriculture, Udaipur. The experiment consisted of five herbicide combinations (weedy check, atrazine + alachlor at 500 + 1500 g ha-1 PE, atrazine + pendimethalin at 500 + 750 g ha-1 PE, atrazine + ethoxysulfuron at 500 + 15 g ha-1 PE and two hand weedings at 15 and 30 DAS) and three sulphur levels (control, 20 and 40 kg S ha-1) making fifteen treatment combinations. These treatments were evaluated in factorial randomized block design with three replications. Quality Protein Maize variety HQPM-1 was used as test crop. All the weed control treatments caused significant reduction in density and dry matter of all category of weeds at all growth stages and nutrient depletion by them at harvest. Echinochloa was most dominating weed. Maximum reduction of weed density, dry matter and nutrient uptake by weeds was recorded in crop subjected to two hand weedings at 15 and 30 DAS followed by tank mixture of atrazine + ethoxysulfuron and atrazine + alachlor. Plant height at 60 and 90 DAS and at harvest increased significantly through all weed control treatments over weedy check. The crop dry matter accumulation at 30 DAS significantly increased by two hand weedings, while dry matter at 60 and 90 DAS and LAI at 55 DAS were significantly higher with two hand weedings but its result was at par with that of atrazine + alachlor. The effect of tank mixture of atrazine + ethoxysulfuron was inferior on crop growth and yield due to its phytotoxic effect on crop. Yield attributes viz., cobs plant-1 and grain rows cob-1 were found unaffected with different weed control treatments while maximum values of grains row-1, grain weight cob-1 and 1000-grain weight were observed with two hand weedings but these were at par with that of atrazine + alachlor. Consequently, higher grain (4.55 t ha-1), stover (7.72 t ha-1) and biological (12.27 t ha-1) yields were registered with two hand weedings however, these were at par with those obtained by combination of atrazine + alachlor. All the weed control treatments significantly increased N, P, K and S content and uptake by QPM grain and stover over weedy check. Maximum N, P, K and S uptake by crop and protein content in grain were registered with two hand weedings which were at par with that of tank mixture of atrazine + alachlor. While lysine and tryptophan contents in grain were unaffected with different weed control treatments. Sulphur rates had no significant effect on weed density, dry matter and N, P, K and S uptake. Significantly higher plant height and dry matter of crop at all growth stages and LAI at 55 were found with 20 kg S ha-1, but crop dry matter at 30 DAS was significantly enhanced up to 40 kg S ha-1. Sulphur application at 40 kg S ha-1 significantly increased grain wieght cob-1 however, grains row-1 and 1000-grain weight increased significantly up to 20 kg S ha-1. Application of sulphur at 40 and 20 kg S ha-1 increased grain, stover and bioligical yields by 24.7 & 14.6; 14.4 & 8.9 and 18.0 & 11.0 per cent, respectively over control. Higher N, P, K and S uptake by grain and stover was recorded with 40 kg S ha-1. Application of 20 kg S ha-1 significantly enhanced per cent protein content in grain. Various sulphur levels failed to cause any significant improvement in lysine and tryptophane content in grain. Amongst weed control treatments highest net return of ` 40917 ha-1 was obtained through tank mixture of atrazine + alachlor (500 + 1500 g ha-1) that correspondingly showed higher B:C ratio of 2.19. Amongst S levels, 40 kg S ha-1 registered maximum net returns (` 34854 ha-1) and B C ratio of 1.72 which were significantly higher over 20 kg S ha-1 and control.
Description
Studies on the Effect of Herbicide Combinations and Sulphur on Productivity of Quality Protein Maize (Zea mays L.)
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Citation
Choudhary and Nepalia, 2012
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