EFFECT OF IRRIGATION AND STRAW MULCH ON GROWTH AND PRODUCTIVITY OF MAIZE

Abstract

A field experiment was carried out at the research field of Crop Physiology and Ecology department, Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University, Dinajpur, during November 2023 to July 2024 to evaluate the performance of maize (BWMRI hybrid Bhutta-2) as influenced by different levels of irrigation and mulching. The experiment comprised of two factors such as factor A: three irrigation levels, I1, I2, I3 and factor B: 3 levels of mulch like M0, M1, M2. The experiment was set up in a split plot design with three replications. Both irrigation and mulching significantly by affected growth and productivity characters of maize. In case of irrigation, the tallest plant, highest leaf number, leaf area index per plant, total dry matter per plant, maximum crop growth rate, yield and yield components of maize were observed in I3 and the result was minimum for all above parameters in I1. In case of mulching, the tallest plant, highest leaf number, leaf area index per plant, total dry matter per plant, maximum crop growth rate, yield and yield components of maize were observed in M2 and the result was minimum for all above parameters in M0. In interaction, the tallest plant, highest leaf number, leaf area index per plant, total dry matter per plant, maximum crop growth rate, yield and yield components of maize were in I3M2 interaction whereas the result was minimum for all above parameters in I1M0 interaction. In case of yield and yield contributing characters cob length, cob breadth, number of grain rows per cob, number of grains per cob, 1000 kernel wt, grain yield and harvest index had significant variation due to different irrigation and mulching levels. In different irrigation levels, the best performance was observed in I3 whereas the lowest performance was observed in I1. In different mulching levels, best performance was observed in M2 and the lowest performance was observed in M0. Therefore, in interaction, highest cob length, cob breadth, number of grain rows per cob, number of grains per cob, 1000 kernel wt, grain yield and harvest index were found in I3M2 interaction and the result was opposite for all above parameters in I1M0 interaction. Based on the above findings it can be concluded that an application of irrigation and mulching is the best combination for obtaining higher yield and yield components of hybrid maize.