Assessment of best fertilizer application methods for QPM hybrids production in Southern Rajasthan

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted at Instructional Farm, Rajasthan Collage of Agriculture, (MPUAT) Udaipur during kharif 2014 and 2015 for “Assessment of best fertilizer application method for QPM hybrids (Zea mays L.) production in Southern Rajasthan”. The experiment was designated as split-plot design with three replications and treatments comprised of two planting densities viz., 50 × 20 cm and 60 × 20 cm (row to row × plant to plant) of two QPM hybrids viz., PQPM-1 and HQPM-1 in the main-plots. The four nutrient application methods viz., Recommended dose fertilizer (RDF), Green seeker based application, Site specific nutrient management SSNM and Soil test crop response (STCR) approach in the sub-plots, The results of the two-years study, showed that the significantly higher yield was recorded with high planting density (50 × 20 cm) of HQPM-1 over the Pratap QPM hybrid–1 with different planting densities, however yield parameters of maize hybrids were significantly higher observed in normal density (60 cm x 20 cm) over high density (50 cm × 20 cm). The yield was significantly increased by 10.64 per cent while the net returns were increased by 17.75 per cent in HQPM– 1 over the PQPM hybrid–1. However, the nutrients application through STCR approach resulted in higher yield of maize (HQPM–1 and PQPM hybrid–1), which was recorded significantly increased by 11.28, 24.78 and 30.99 per cent, and net returns were increased by 15.16, 34.41 and 45.31 per cent, respectively over SSNM, RDF, and green seeker approaches during both the years. Thus, the two years study revealed that the growing of HQPM1 with high planting density (50 × 20 cm) or (1,00,000 plant ha-1) with application of nutrients application methods using STCR approach followed by SSNM could be adopted for higher production and profitability in Southern Rajasthan and similar agro ecologies.