Horticultural Research Station, Assam Agricultural University, Kahikuchi, Guwahati-781017, Assam
*Corresponding author email id: ranjitabezbarua@gmail.com
Online published on 17 February, 2022.
Maize is the second most important cereal crop in Assam. Considering its significant role in ensuring food security and direct consumption and as well as for second cycle produce in piggery and poultry farming, the study was carried out during rabi season of 2016–17 and 2017–18 at Morigaon district of Assam in three different locations for enhancement of productivity under Front Line Demonstration. Prevailing farmer’s practices were treated as control for comparison with recommended practices. All the demonstrations have been carried out with an objective to demonstrate how farmer’s income can be enhanced and doubled by adopting all the recommended package of practices. Determination of the effects of recommended packages of practice on plant population, plant height, number of cob, cob length, no of grains/cob, test weight, corn grain yield and economic yield were also under the objective of study as important yield attributes for measuring the productivity of maize. The adopted improved technologies consisted of hybrid variety, line sowing, irrigation at three different growth stages, recommended fertilizer doses, weeding as required and insect pest management at proper time. The results of pres ent investigation revealed that maximum morpho-physiological characters, yield components and yield was obtained with better quality by adoption of improved package and practices to ensuring the highest plant population (15 plant/sqm), plant height (220 cm), number of cob/ plant (1.45), cob length without husk (20.12 cm), number of grain/ cob (448), test weight (245.2 gm) and maximum grain yield (8.5 t/ha) compared to farmer’s practices. The demonstration plot recorded the highest average yield of 8.5 t/ha compared to 6.3 t/ha at farmer’s practice in both the years with an average percentage increase of 34.92 per cent over farmer’s practice. The demonstration plot recorded the highest average net return (Rs. 65300/-) compared to Farmer’s practice (Rs 36000/-) with 81.39 per cent increase over Farmer’s practice. Higher benefit cost ratio of Demo (3.32) obtained as compared to farmer’s practices (2.33) considering the market price of Rs. 11000/t on quality hybrid variety NMH830 compared to Rs. 10000/t on lower quality of farmer’s variety.
Benefit cost ratio, Hybrid, Morpho-physiological, Net return, Productivity, Yield attributes
