Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

EFFECT OF INTEGRATED NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT ON YIELD ATTRIBUTES, YIELD AND ECONOMICS OF MAIZE (ZEA MAYS L.)

K.T. Madane, Y.R. Jadhav and A.S. Dhonde

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted during the Kharif season of 2013 on medium black soil at the Post graduate research farm, College of Agriculture, Kolhapur to study the integrated nutrient management on growth and yield of maize (Zea mays L.). Application of 120:60:40 kg NPK ha-1 (100% RDF) through inorganic fertilizers recorded significantly higher grain (59.11 q ha-1) and stover yields of maize over rest of the treatments. However, this was on par with 75% RDF (90:45:30 kg NPK) + 10 t FYM ha-1, which indicate the application of 75% RDF + 10 t FYM ha-1 was equally effective with 100% RDF for getting maximum grain and stover yields of hybrid maize (cv. Rajarshi KMH-22168). The application of 100% RDF (120:60:40 kg NPK ha-1) through chemical fertilizers recorded the higher gross and net monetary returns and also B:C ratio (Rs. 87,260, 49,300 and 2.29 ha-1, respectively) as compared to remaining treatments. Among the integrated nutrient management treatments an application of 75% RDF + 10 t FYM ha-1 recorded significantly the higher gross returns of Rs. 77,720 ha-1. However, application of 75% RDF + 5 t FYM ha-1 and 75% RDF + 1.25 t vermicompost ha-1 were at par and recorded significantly higher net returns (30,810 and 30,770 ha-1, respectively) over rest of integrated nutrient management treatments and among the integrated nutrient management treatments the B:C ratio was more or less same in the treatment of 75% RDF + 1.25 t vermicompost ha-1 (1.73) and 75% RDF + 5 t FYM ha-1 (1.70).