Innovative approaches to enhance maize growth and yield via residue and nitrogen management in conservation agriculture practices

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted during the kharif season of 2018 and 2019 for exploring the influence of differential residue and nitrogen management practices on growth parameters and physiological indices of maize under conservation agriculture on a sandy loam soil at New Delhi. The treatments consisted of two cropping systems: maize-mustard-mungbean (MMuMb) and maizewheatmungbean (MWMb); two residue management practices of with (WR) and without residue (WoR) and four precise N management practices of recommended dose of nitrogen (RDN), 33% N at basal with green seeker (GS), 50% N at basal with GS, and 70% N at basal with GS arranged in split-split plot design and replicated thrice. The results of the study indicated that growth parameters, physiological indices and yield attributes in maize were increased significantly with residue retention and 50% N at basal with green seeker in MWMb. Higher dry matter accumulation (177.2 and 172.2 g/plant), and LAI (3.07 in second year) was recorded under 50+GS compared to RDN application. Based on pooled data of yield attributes, the highest number of cobs (65.4 103/ha) and cob length (19.3 cm) values were observed with the 50+GS at 90 DAS, whereas barrenness (9.2%) followed by WR (9.1%) compared with irrespective treatments. The highest grain rows per cob (17.8), grains per row (36.1) and grains per cob (453.6) in maize plants were recorded under 50+GS followed by WR (16.2, 34.6 and 414.2) as compared to other treatments.