Real Time Contingency Measures to Mitigate Mid-season Drought Situation for Rainfed Maize in Kandi Region of Punjab

A field experiment was conducted during kharif season of 2015 and 2016 at the research farm of All India Coordinated Research Project for Dryland Agriculture at Punjab Agricultural University, Regional Research Station, Ballowal Saunkhri to study the effect of real time contingency measures to mitigate mid-season dry spells in rainfed maize. Real time contingency measures viz., vegetative mulching (T₂), foliar spray of 1% KNO₃(T₃), vegetative mulching + foliar spray of 1% KNO₃(T₅), vegetative mulching + reduction in plant population (T₆) and foliar spray of 1% KNO₃ + reduction in plant population (T₇) recorded significantly higher yields as compared to control (T₁). Pooled data of two years showed that among different real time interventions in rainfed maize, T₅ treatment recorded highest grain yield (3571 kg ha⁻¹), straw yield (8000 kg ha⁻¹), rain water use efficiency (7.34 kg ha⁻¹ mm), net return ( 27737 ha⁻¹) and B:C ratio (1.80). This is due to highest soil moisture content (14%) and leaf area (4533 cm²) recorded in this treatment (T₅) during dry spell. Highest leaf area recorded in T₅ treatment was 21% more than that recorded in T₁. T₅ treatment also resulted in significant increase in cob length, cob girth and 1000-grain weight of maize as compared to T₁.