Synergistic Effects of Mulching and Integrated Nutrient Management Practices on Maize (Zea mays)

The two yearlong experiment was conducted at the ICR Farm of sandy loam and acidic soils at Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat during the rabi season of 2020-21 and 2021- 22. The experiment was laid out in split plot design with 3 replications with 3X8 treatments. The treatment consisted of three mulching treatments M0; No mulch, M1:Paddy straw mulch @6t/ha and M2: Biodegradable plastic film of 20µ in the main plots, and INM practices as sub-plots such as I1: 100% recommended dose of fertilizers (RDF), I2 :100% RDF + Water spray, I3: 100% PK + 75% RDN + 25% Vermicompost (VC), I4:100% PK + 75% RDN + 25% Enriched compost( EC) , I5:100% PK + 75% RDN + 25% VC + 4% Vermiwash, I6: 100% PK + 75% RDN + 25%EC + 4% Vermiwash, I7:100% PK + 75% RDN + 25% VC + 4% Humic acid, I8:100% PK + 75% RDN + 25% EC + 4% Humic acid. Maize variety DKC 9081 was selected for research. Results revealed that the different soil moisture conservation practices significantly affected the growth parameters like plant height, dry matter accumulation and yield attributes of rabi maize. The maximum values of growth parameters were recorded in the treatment involving application of biodegradable plastic mulch. Similar effects were obtained in yield and yield attributing characters viz., weight of cob with and without husk, number of rows per cob, grain per row, grain per cob, 1000 grain weight, , grain yield pooled over two years (79.06 q/ha). Among the INM practices the treatment with 100% PK+75% RDN+25% Enriched compost +4% Humic acid (I8) resulted in significantly higher growth parameters like plant height, leaf area, leaf area index and dry matter accumulation of rabi maize. Similarly, yield and yield attributing characters viz., weight of cob with and without husk, length of cob, number of rows per cob, grain per row, grain per cob, 1000 grain weight and grain yield (77.56 q/ha) were also higher under this treatment.