IMPACT OF TILLAGE, PLANT POPULATION AND MULCHES ON PHENOLOGICAL CHARACTERS OF MAIZE

摘要

Field experiments were conducted during 2006 and 2007 in Peshawar, using open pollinated maize variety “Azam” inRCB design having 3 factors viz., tillage, maize populations and mulches with split-split plot arrangements. Tillage levels(zero and conventional) were assigned to the main plots, populations (90000, 60000 and 30000 plants ha-1) to sub-plots andfour types of mulches (weeds mulch, black plastic mulch, white plastic mulch and mungbean as living mulch), a handweeding and a weedy check were allotted to sub-sub plots, respectively. Data were recorded on days to tasseling, days tosilking, days to maturity, leaf area of maize plant-1 (cm2) and plant height (cm). Tillage affected leaf area of maize, wherezero tillage resulted lower leaf area of 4094 cm2 compared to conventional tillage (4722 cm2). Different levels of plantpopulations affected all the physiological parameters. Days to tasseling, silking and maturity were more in higher plantpopulation as compared to medium and lower plant population. Similarly, minimum leaf area plant-1 was recorded in higherplant population (3894 cm2) than medium and lower plant population of 4398 and 4932 cm2, respectively. Maximum plantheight was recorded in hand weeding treatment (173 cm). However, it was statistically at par with black plastic mulch (171cm), followed by weeds mulch (162 cm) and white plastic mulch (161 cm) as compared to weedy check (152 cm). Based ontwo years study it is suggested that even if tillage options and plant populations are a part of the weed management program,it should not be used as a sole management tool, as both have a negative impact on the phenological parameters of maizewhich subsequently affected the final yield and must be integrated and supplemented with other control methods.