Performance of Single Cross Maize Hybrid Zea mays L under Varying Hydrogel and Fertility Levels in Rainfed Condition of Southern Rajasthan

Abstract

newline A field experiment entitled Performance of Single Cross Maize Hybrid (Zea mays L.) under Varying Hydrogel and Fertility Levels in Rainfed Condition of Southern Rajasthan was conducted on clay loam soils having medium fertility status (290.4, 297.3 kg N, 20.5, 20.7 kg P2O5 and 350.2, 368.4 kg K2O ha-1) at Instruction Farm, Department of Agronomy, Rajasthan College of Agriculture, Udaipur during two consecutive years (2019 and 2020). The objectives of the study were to standardize the hydrogel and fertility levels for single cross hybrids maize and also to assess the economics of treatments under rainfed situations. The experiment consisted of 16 treatment combinations comprising four soil application of hydrogel (Control, 2.5, 5.0 and 7.5 kg hydrogel ha-1) and four fertility levels (75 kg N + 40 kg P2O5 + 30 kg K2O ha-1, 90 kg N + 45 kg P2O5 + 35 kg K2O ha-1, 105 kg N + 50 kg P2O5 + newline40 kg K2O ha-1 and 120 kg N + 55 kg P2O5 + 45 kg K2O ha-1) were evaluated under factorial RBD with 3 replications. newlineThe results on pooled basis revealed that soil application of hydrogel significantly increased plant height, dry matter accumulation, LAI, chlorophyll content CGR at initial duration and RGR at both the durations, however failed to record perceptible variation in plant population and days taken to 50 per cent tasseling and silking of single cross hybrid. Amongst yield attributes, all yield attributes significantly improved under soil application of hydrogel except cobs plant-1 consequently enhanced grain, stover and biological yield significantly over rest of the treatments. Harvest index failed to record perceptible variation under varying level of hydrogel application. newline* Ph. Alike this protein content of grain, N, P and K content and their uptake by grain, Stover, total uptake and N, P2O5, K2O status of soil were higher under application of hydrogel. However, BD, PD and pH of soil did not vary significantly amongst various treatments of soil application of hydrogel. The net returns ` 68927 ha-1 and ` 6821