Nutrients Uptake and Available Nutrients Status in Soil as Influenced by Sowing Methods and Herbicides in Kharif Maize (Zea mays L.)

An investigation was carried out at Varanasi during kharif season of 2015 and 2016 to assess the influence of three sowing methods (ridge and furrow, conventional flat bed and raised bed planting) and seven weed-control methods (tembotrione 100 g ai. ha⁻¹ (PoE), tembotrione 125 g ai g ai. ha⁻¹ (PoE), atrazine 1 kg ai. ha⁻¹ followed by one hand weeding at 30 DAS, atrazine 1 kg ai. ha⁻¹ (PE) followed by 2, 4-D at 30 DAS (0.5 kg ai. ha⁻¹, PoE), pendimethalin 1 kg ai. ha⁻¹ (PE) followed by one hand weeding at 30 DAS, weedy check and weed free) on nutrient uptake and available nutrients in maize. Raised bed planting has sown results of the lowest weed dry matter accumulation, depletion of NPK by weeds and the highest grain and straw yield, NPK uptake by crop and the available NPKS and Zn in soil than conventional flat bed sowing and it was at par with ridge and furrow sowing. Among the herbicidal treatments, sequential application of atrazine followed by 2, 4-D at 30 was recorded with the lowest dry matter of weeds, NPK depletion by weeds and the highest yield and nutrients uptake and available nutrients in soil when compared to tembotrione 125 g ai g ai ha⁻¹ (PoE), tembotrione 100 g ai. ha⁻¹ (PoE) and weedy check, respectively and it were statistically at par with weed free, atrazine 1 kg ai. ha⁻¹ followed by one hand weeding at 30 DAS and pendimethalin 1 kg ai. ha⁻¹ (PE) followed by one hand weeding at 30 DAS, respectively.

Raised bed planting recorded the lowest weed dry weight, nutrients depletion by weeds and the highest grain and straw yield and nutrients uptake by crop and the available nutrients in soil.

Sequential application of atrazine 1 kg ai. ha−1 (PE) followed by 2, 4-D at 30 DAS (0.5 kg ai. ha−1, PoE), recorded the lowest weed dry weight, nutrients depletion by weeds and the highest grain and straw yield and nutrients uptake by crop and the available nutrients in soil.