EFFECT OF PLANTING GEOMETRY AND NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT PRACTICES ON THE PRODUCTIVITY OF POP CORN (ZEA MAYS EVERTA STURT.) UNDER MID HILL CONDITIONS OF HIMACHAL PRADESH

Kingopa, Mohit

EFFECT OF PLANTING GEOMETRY AND NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT PRACTICES ON THE PRODUCTIVITY OF POP CORN (ZEA MAYS EVERTA STURT.) UNDER MID HILL CONDITIONS OF HIMACHAL PRADESH

Date

2018-07-23

Authors

Kingopa, Mohit

Publisher

CSKHPKV, Palampur

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted during kharif season of 2017 to study the effect of planting geometry and nutrient management practices on the productivity of pop corn (Zea mays everta Sturt.) under mid hill conditions of Himachal Pradesh at the Research Farm of CSK HPKV, Hill Agricultural Research and Extension Centre (HAREC), Bajaura. The experiment was laid out in split-plot design comprising of 15 treatment combinations due to five nutrient management practices (F1: RDF for dent maize (120:60:40:: N:P2O5:K2O kg/ha); F2: 75% of RDF (90:45:30:: N:P2O5:K2O kg/ha); F3 : STCR based Nutrient Management (71:47:20:: N:P2O5:K2O kg/ha); F4 : SSNM based on Nutrient Expert® (100:24:36:: N:P2O5:K2O kg/ha); F5 : Organic Management Practice [Seed treatment with Beejamrut & biofertilizers + 10 t vermicompost/ha as basal followed by liquid manure (Jeevamrut) application twice during crop season] arranged in main plots and three planting geometry [G1: 60cm x 20cm (83,333 plants/ha); G2 : 50cm x 20cm (1,00,000 plants/ha); G3 : 50 cm x 15cm (1,33,333 plants/ha)] allotted in sub plots. Experimental site was silty clay loam in texture, neutral in reaction and medium in available nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Significantly highest grain and stover yields and net return were recorded in F1 (RDF for dent maize) followed by F2 (75% of RDF) and F4 (SSNM) both of which were statistically at par with each other. Cobs at harvest and cob length were significantly highest in F1 (RDF for dent maize), whereas it was statistically at par with F4 (SSNM) regarding cob girth with F2 (75% of RDF) and F4 (SSNM) regarding number of grain row/cob and number of grains/row. All the chemical fertilizer treatments did not differ significantly in influencing the 100 seed weight, but were superior to organic management. Among planting geometries, G2 - 50 cm x 20 cm and G1 - 60 cm x 20 cm remaining statistically at par with each other gave significantly higher grain yield and net return than G3 - 50 cm x 15 cm, while effect of planting geometry on stover yield was non-significant. A significant progressive increase in cobs at harvest was recorded with increasing planting density due to closer planting geometries. Cob length, cob girth, number of grain rows/cob and grains/row decreased significantly with increasing planting density. Whereas in case of 100 seed weight G1 - 60 cm x 20 cm and G2 - 50 cm x 20 cm remained statistically at par with each other but resulted in significantly higher 100 seed weight over G3- 50 cm x 15 cm.