An experiment was conducted on BARI Central Research Station, Gazipur during rabi season of 2019-2020. The experiment confined with intercropping where maize was sown as main crop and cauliflower was transplanted as compinion crop. The variety for Maize was BARI Hybrid Maize-9 and for cauliflower was Snow white. The initial soil samples at a depth of 0-15 cm from the experimental fields were collected and analyzed following standard methods
The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with nine treatments replicated three times. The unit plot size was 4.5m ´ 3.0m. Maize was sown 75 cm line to line and 20 cm plant to plant. Equal sized healthy thirty days old seedlings of cauliflower were transplanted on December 4 at Gazipur 2019. After 30 days of cauliflower seedlings transplanting, maize was sown in between cauliflower rows.
The experiment was set up with nine treatments viz. T1 (100% RDCF of Maize + 0% RDCF of Cauliflower), T2 (100% RDCF of Maize + 10% RDCF of Cauliflower), T3 (100% RDCF of Maize + 20% RDCF of Cauliflower), T4 (100% RDCF of Maize + 30% RDCF of Cauliflower), T5 (100% RDCF of Maize + 40% RDCF of Cauliflower), T6 (100% RDCF of Maize + 50% RDCF of Cauliflower), T7 (100% RDCF of Maize + 60% RDCF of Cauliflower),T8 [Sole Maize (100% RDCF of Maize with recommended spacing)] and T9 [Sole Cauliflower (100% RDCF of Cauliflower with recommended spacing)]. Recommended dose of chemical fertilizer (RDCF) for Maize = N255P60K110S40Zn4B1.4 kg ha-1 and for Cauliflower=N150P45K70S20Zn2B1 kg ha-1+ 5 t CD ha-1.
Urea, TSP, MoP, gypsum and boric acid were used as a source of N, P, K, S and B, respectively. All P, K, S, B and 1/3 N were applied at the time of final land preparation and the remaining 2/3 N was applied in two equal installments at 45 and 75 days after transplanting. All the intercultural operations such as irrigation, weeding, insect control etc. were done as and when necessary.
Harvesting of cauliflower was done on Februray and of maize was done on April 2020.Ten plants from each plot were tagged at random to take records on different agronomic parameters of maize and cauliflower. Data on growth, yield and yield contributing parameters were recorded and statistically analyzed with the help of statistical package CropStat and mean separation was tested by Least Significance Difference (LSD) (Steel and Torrie, 1960). Post harvest soil and plant samples were also collected and analyzed.
Methods of chemical analyses:
Soil pH was measured by a combined glass calomel electrode (Jakson, 1958). Organic carbon was determined by wet oxidation method (Walkley and Black, 1934). Total N was determined by modified Kjeldahl method. Ca and Mg were determined by NH4OAc extraction method. K, Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn were determined by DTPA extraction followed by AAS reading. Boron was determined by CaCl2 extraction method. Phosphorus was determined by Bray and Kurtz method (Acid soils). S was determined by CaH4 (PO4)2.H2O extraction followed by turbidimetric method with BaCl2.