Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

INFLUENCE OF FARMYARD MANURE AND NITROGEN LEVELS ON QUALITY PARAMETERS AND YIELD OF MAIZE

Bhadra Parija, Mahesh Kumar and Sunita Sharma

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted at Research Farm, Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana during kharif 2010to study the Influence of farmyard manure and nitrogen levels on quality parameters and yield of maize. The field experiment comprised of 20 treatment combinations from four main plot treatments (farmyard manure @ 0, 10, 15 and 20 tonnes/ha) and five nitrogen levels as sub plot treatments (0, 75, 100, 125 and 150 kg N/ha). The experiment was laid out in split plot design with four replications. The grain yield under farmyard manure level FYM 20 (20 tonnes/ha) and FYM 15 (15 tonnes/ha) was observed to the tune of 62.1 and 58.3 q/ha, respectively, which were statistically at par with each other but significantly higher than the grain yield observed under FYM 10 (10 tonnes/ha) and control. Protein content (%) of grains was increased while starch and total sugars content (%) decreased with increase in farmyard manure level. Among nitrogen levels, N 150 gave significantly higher grain yield over N 125, N 100, N 75 and control. Quality parameters such as oil, tryptophan, mineral matter, starch and total sugars content (%) remained unaffected under different nitrogen levels whereas protein content (%) was increased with increase in nitrogen levels.