Influence of foliar application of thiourea and mulching on growth and productivity of rainfed maize (Zea mays L.) under different planting methods
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Date
2020
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Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana
Abstract
The present study entitled „„Influence of foliar application of thiourea and mulching on growth and productivity of rainfed maize (Zea mays L.) under different planting methods‟‟ was conducted at Regional Research Station Ballowal Saunkhri and Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Langroya, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana during kharif 2018. The soil of Ballowal was sandy loam, neutral in pH, normal in electrical conductivity, low in organic carbon and available nitrogen, high in available phosphorus and medium in available potassium whereas the soil of Langroya was neutral in pH, normal in electrical conductivity, medium in organic carbon, low in available nitrogen, medium in available phosphorus and high in available potassium. Total rainfall received during the cropping season was 975.7 mm consisting three dry spells at pre-anthesis and grain filling stages of crop. The field experiment comprised of 16 different treatment combinations replicated thrice in split plot design with four different planting methods (flat sowing with mulch, flat sowing without mulch, ridge sowing with mulch and ridge sowing without mulch) as main plot and four different foliar sprays (unsprayed, water spray, foliar spray of 500 ppm and 1000 ppm thiourea at 45 days after sowing) as sub plot treatments. The highest grain yield was observed in ridge sowing with mulch (35.8 q ha-1) which was statistically at par with ridge sowing without mulch and significantly higher over flat sown treatments. Among foliar sprays the highest grain yield was observed in foliar spray of 1000 ppm thiourea (35.7 q ha-1) which was significantly higher over the rest of foliar sprayed treatments. Maize crop sown on ridges in association with mulch and foliar spray of 1000 ppm thiourea resulted in significantly higher growth and physiological parameters and took significantly higher number of days to reach physiological maturity over the flat sown and unsprayed crop. Soil moisture content was higher in ridge sown and mulched plots over flat sown ones whereas the effect of different foliar spray treatments were non-significant. Among quality parameters protein content was observed significantly higher in ridge sowing with mulch plots whereas total sugars and starch content remained unaffected in respect to different planting methods. Significantly higher total sugars, starch, protein and nitrogen uptake was observed in foliar spray of 1000 ppm thiourea over control. In crux, it can be concluded that ridge sowing with mulch and foliar spray of 1000 ppm thiourea at 45 days after sowing proved propitious in reducing the productivity and quality losses caused by vagaries of rainfall in rainfed maize.
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