Effect of integrated nutrient management on growth, yield and nutrient uptake in maize under rainfed Shivalik Foot hills of Jammu region

A field experiment was conducted under rainfed condition during kharif seasons of 2014-2017 at the research farm of Advanced Centre for Rainfed Agriculture (Rakh Dhiansar) of Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir (UT) to study the effect of integrated nutrient management practices on the growth, yield and nutrient uptake in rainfed maize. Results revealed that the growth parameters of maize crop such as plant height (cm) and dry matter accumulation (q/ha) were significantly influenced by different integrated nutrient management treatments. Among the integrated nutrient management treatments, highest plant height (199.1 cm) and dry matter accumulation (72.8 q/ha) were recorded with application of 50% RFD + 50% N (FYM) followed by 50% RFD + 50% N (crop residues) and 100% RFD + ZnSO₄ 20 kg/ha. Among the integrated nutrient management treatments, highest cob length (16.9 cm), cob girth (14.1 cm), stem girth (6.3 cm), grains/cob (308.9) and 100 seed weight (20.6 g) were recorded with application of 50% RFD + 50% N (FYM) followed by 50% RFD + 50% N (crop residues) and 100% RFD + ZnSO₄ 20 kg/ha. Significantly higher grain yield (1759 kg/ha) was recorded in 50% RFD + 50% N (FYM) over all the other integrated nutrient management treatments except 50% RFD + 50% N (crop residues). However, significantly higher straw yield (4049 kg/ha) was recorded in 50% RFD + 50% N (FYM) over all the integrated nutrient management treatments. Significantly higher total uptake of N, P and K by maize was observed in the treatment comprising of 50% RFD + 50% N (FYM) over all the other integrated nutrient management treatments.