Agricultural Research Management Information System

Home
Research Summary
Search
About Us
- ARMIS
- Brochure
Contact Us
Report
User Request
Data Input
Help
- Operation Manual
  - PDF
  - Video
- Program Area & Commodity
We have reached 37600 number of research entries at this moment.

- Logout

Research Detail

Home
Research
Detail

Effects of Plant Spacing and Nitrogen Level on the Green Fodder Yield of Maize (zea Mays L.)

Newton Chandra Paul
Department of Agronomy, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh – 2202

Uttam Paul
Department of Agronomy, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh – 2202

Shabuj Chandra Paul
Department of Agronomy, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh – 2202

Swapan Kumar Paul
Department of Agronomy, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh – 2202

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

An experiment was conducted at the Agronomy Field Laboratory, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh during December 2016 to February 2017 to investigate the effect of plant spacing and nitrogen level on growth parameters and green fodder yield of maize (Zea mays L.). The experiment comprised three plant spacings viz., 35 cm × 10 cm, 35 cm × 20 cm, 35 cm × 30 cm and three nitrogen levels viz., 100, 150 and 200 kg N ha^-1. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Results revealed that plant spacing, nitrogen levels and their interaction had significant effect on growth parameters and green fodder yield. The tallest plant (192.5 cm) was obtained at plant spacing 35 cm × 30 cm, while the highest fodder yield (61.13 t ha ^-1) of Z. mays was recorded at 35 cm × 10 cm spacing. In case of nitrogen level, the tallest plant (204.9 cm), the highest number of leaves plant^-1 (12.22), the highest chlorophyll content in leaves (41.50) and the highest fodder yield (70.38 t ha ^-1) of Z. mays were recorded in 200 kg N ha^-1. In case of interaction, the tallest plant (218.4 cm) of Z. mays was produced at spacing 35 cm × 30 cm along with 200 kg N ha^-1. The highest fodder yield (78.01 t ha ^-1) of Z. mays was obtained at spacing 35 cm × 10 cm fertilized with 200 kg N ha^-1 which was at par with spacing 35 cm × 20 cm fertilized with 200 kg N ha^-1 and the lowest fodder yield (31.91 t ha ^-1) was obtained at spacing 35 cm × 30 cm along with 100 kg N ha^-1. Therefore, spacing 35 cm × 10 cm fertilized with 200 kg N ha^-1 appears as the promising practice for maize cultivation as fodder crop.

Keywords: Green fodder, Maize, Nitrogen levels, Plant spacing, Yield

Location: Agronomy Field Laboratory, Department of Agronomy, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh

Start Date: 00-12-2016

End Date: 00-02-2017

Program Area: Crop-Soil-Water Management

Commodity: Fertilizer, Maize

Objectives:

To determine the optimum spacing and nitrogen fertilizer on growth and fodder yield of maize (Zea mays L.).

Methodology:

The experiment was carried out at the Agronomy Field Laboratory, Department of Agronomy, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh during December 2016 to February 2017. The experiment site located at 24°75' N latitude and 90° 50' E longitude having an altitude of 18 m above the mean sea level. The experimental site belongs to the Sonatala series of Old Brahmaputra Floodplain Agro ecological Zone (AEZ-9) having non-calcareous dark grey floodplain soils (UNDP and FAO, 1998). The experiment was done in a randomized complete block design with three replications having three plant spacings viz., 35 cm × 10 cm, 35 cm × 20 cm, 35 cm × 30 cm and three nitrogen levels viz., 100, 150 and 200 kg N ha^-1. The size of each unit plot was 2.5 m × 2.0 m. The land was fertilized with triple super phosphate (TSP), muriate of potash (MoP), gypsum and zinc sulphate @ 270 kg, 220 kg, 220 kg and 15 kg ha^-1, respectively. Nitrogen was applied in the form of prilled urea as per treatment of the experiment in three equal splits. One- third of the urea and entire amount of triple super phosphate, muriate of potash, gypsum and zinc sulphate were applied at final land preparation and the remaining urea was applied in two equal splits at 20 and 50 days after sowing (DAS). Rows were oriented length wise in north-south direction. Seeds of Z. mays were sown on 5 December 2016 as per experimental spacing apart by opening 3-4 cm deep furrows with tine. BARI developed maize cultivar BARI hybrid maize 9 was used as test crop. Two seeds were sown in each hill^-1. Weeding was done at 15 and 30 DAS. Only one healthy seedling hill^-1 was kept and the rest were thinned out at 15 DAS (at the time of first weeding). The crop of Z. mays was irrigated two times at 20 and 50 DAS after topdressing of urea. Five plants were randomly with bamboo sticks in each plot excluding border rows to record the data on vegetative characters. Chlorophyll meter values (SPAD) were recorded using a portable SPAD meter (Model SPAD-502, Minolta crop, Ramsey, NJ). The instrument measures transmission of red light at 650 nm, at which chlorophyll absorbs light and transmission of infra- red light at 940 nm, at which no absorption occurs. The chlorophyll meter readings have been positively correlated with destructive chlorophyll measurements in many crop species (Zhu et al., 2012) and considered as a useful indicator of the need of N top dressing during the crop growth on the basis of these two transmission values, the instrument calculates a SPAD value that is well correlated with chlorophyll content (Paul et al., 2018). At silking and milk stage (of the grain), the crop was harvested plot-wise and converted into t ha^-1. The collected data were statistically analyzed using “Analysis of Variance” technique with the help of computer program, MSTAT. Mean differences among the treatments were adjudged by using the Duncun’s Multiple Range Test (DMRT) (Gomez and Gomez, 1984).

Source of Information: Archives of Agriculture and Environmental Science 4(3): 307-312 (2019)

Article Link (Online Journal): DOI: 10.26832/24566632.2019.040308

Funding Source:

Budget:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

Plant spacing and nitrogen fertilization has significant influence on vegetative growth and green fodder yield of maize. Results of the study revealed that the tallest plant, the highest number of leaves plant^-1 at 45 DAT, the highest number of leaves plant^-1 at harvest and the highest chlorophyll content of Z. mays were produced by 35 cm × 10 cm plant spacing fertilized with 200 kg N ha^-1. The highest fodder yield of Z. mays was obtained in spacing 35 cm × 10 cm fertilized with 200 kg N ha^-1, which was as good as 35 cm × 20 cm spacing fertilized with 200 kg N ha^-1 while the lowest fodder yield of Z. mays was obtained at spacing 35 cm × 30 cm along with 100 kg N ha^-1. Therefore, spacing 35 cm × 10 cm along with 200 kg N ha^-1 appears as the promising practice of Z. mays cultivation in terms green fodder yield.

Knowledge Management: Journal