Studies on Nutrient and Weed Management in Kharif Maize under Rainfed Conditions

摘要

Maize ranks third in the world production being surpassed only by rice and wheat, but in productivity it surpasses all cereals. It is well known that maize is a heavy feeder for both nutrients and soil moisture due to its high productivity. On one hand, use of costly chemical fertilizers/ pesticides may form the major contributing factor for higher production, but continuous application of only these might have some deleterious effects on soil properties, which in turn reflects on yield. On the otherhand, huge nutrient requirement of maize cannot be met if used alone. An application of inorganic fertilizers with organic manures maintains soil fertility and also improves the productivity of maize (Panwar, 2008). The low yield of maize under Indian conditions may be attributed to number of factors, among them weeds rank as prime enemy. Lal and Saini (1985) gave an estimate on crop-weed competition and suggested that the reduction of 40% in yield could occur due to weed infestation. In the near future, agricultural labour will become scarce and expensive, as the movement from the village to cities unlikely to be reversed. Therefore, it is necessary to develop cheaper method of weed control with either herbicides or their combinations with mechanical methods. Taking into account the above points, it was felt necessary to conduct the experiment entitled "Studies on nutrient and weed management in maize under rainfed condition".