GROWTH AND YIELD OF WHITE MAIZE AS INFLUENCED BY EARTHING UP PRACTICES AND APPLICATION METHODS OF NITROGEN FERTILIZER

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted at Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka during the period from October-2021 to February-2022 in Rabi season, to study the growth and yield of white maize as influenced by earthing up practices and application methods of nitrogen fertilizer. The experiment consisted of two factors, and followed split plot design with three replications. Factor A: Earthing up practices (2) viz: E 0 = No earthing up E 1 = Earthing up at 45 DAS and Factor B: Application method of nitrogen fertilizer (3) viz: N 1 = Side dressing at 85 DAS, N 2 = Two splits of N-50% at 45 DAS + 50% at 85 DAS and N 3 = Three splits of N-33% at 45 DAS +33% at 65 DAS + 33% at 85 DAS. The analysis of various parameter data revealed significant differences in maize growth and yield, as a result of earthing up practices and different application method of nitrogen fertilizer and their combination treatment. In the case of different earthing up practices, the lowest grain yield (6.86 t ha -1 ) was observed in E 0 treatment. Whereas applying earthing up practices at 45 DAS (E 1 ) gave the highest cob length (21.50 cm), cob circumference (18.19 cm), rows cob -1 (14.04), grains row -1 (27.88), total grains cob -1 (392.00), 1000 grain weight (298.33 g) and grain yield (7.60 t ha -1 ). Among different application methods of nitrogen fertilizer, the highest cob length (21.99 cm), cob circumference (18.66 cm), rows cob (15.47), grains row 1 -1 (28.27), total grains cob ) were observed in N 3 -1 -1 (437.48), 1000-grains (311.67 g) and grain yield (8.10 t ha treatment. In the case of combination, E 1 N 3 treatment combination gave the highest cob length (22.66 cm), cob circumference (19.16 cm), rows cob (15.67), grains row -1 (28.66), total grains cob -1 (449.10), 1000 grains (331.67 g) and grain yield (8.50 t ha -1 ) of white maize. Therefore, it was suggested that cultivating of white maize through applying earthing up practice at 45 DAS along with three splits application of nitrogen fertilizer @ 33% at 45 DAS +33% at 65 DAS + 33% at 85 DAS would help to influenced plant growth and increase its ability to enhanced better yield production of white maize compared to other treatment combinations.