Singh, Dinesh KumarChaudhary, Abhishek2021-12-032021-12-032021-10https://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810178550The present investigation was carried out at N. E. Borlaug Crop Research Centre, Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar, District-Udham Singh Nagar, Uttarakhand, during spring season 2021. Investigation was laid out in factorial randomized block design with eight treatment and three replications to study the “Response of Spring Maize (Zea mays L.) to Mulching and Varying Foliar Application Rates of Potassium”. Observations were recorded on various attributes of vegetative growth, yield, water use efficiency and economics. The plant height, dry matter accumulation per plant, cob length, cob girth, grain weight per cob, number of grains per row, number of grains per cob, 100-grain weight, cob yield with husk, cob yield without husk, grain yield, stover yield, biological yield, irrigation water use efficiency and production efficiency significantly increased due to rice straw mulch application over no mulch. Single foliar application of 2 % and 3 % KNO3 significantly increased the plant height, dry matter accumulation per plant, cob length, cob girth, grain weight per cob, number of grains per row, number of grains per cob,100-grain weight, cob yield with husk, cob yield without husk, grain yield, stover yield, biological yield, irrigation water use efficiency and production efficiency. Application of rice straw mulch registered significantly higher gross return (Rs 178135), net return (Rs 130242) over no mulch condition whereas, 2 % and 3 % foliar application of KNO3 recorded significantly higher gross return (Rs 179703 and Rs 179531, respectively) net return (Rs 132675 and Rs 129833, respectively) over water spray and 1 % foliar application of KNO3 application. On the basis of present findings it may be concluded that to increase the yield and profit of spring maize, foliar application of KNO3 (2 %) at knee height stage along with rice straw mulch @ 6 t/ha at 45 days after sowing should be done to maximise the farmer’s net return.EnglishThesis