PROFITABILITY OF ZERO TILL MAIZE INFLUENCED BY NUTRIENT AND WEED MANAGEMENT PRACTICES

Abstract

Field experiment was carried out at College Farm, Agricultural College, Aswaraopet, Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University, during rabi 2016-17 and 2017-18 with three nutrient management (M1: 100% RDF, M2: 75% RDF +25% N through Vermicompost and M3: 75% RDF + 25% N through FYM) and four weed management treatments (S1: Control; S2: Atrazine 50 WP 500 g ha-1 + Paraquat 24 SL 0.6 kg ha-1 fb 2,4 - D 0.5 kg ha-1 at 25 DAS; S3: Atrazine 50 WP 500 g ha-1 fb (Topramezone 0.03 kg ha-1 + Atrazine 50 WP 500 g ha-1) at 25 DAS and S4: Topramezone 0.03 kg ha-1 + Atrazine 50 WP 500 g ha-1 at 15 DAS fb HW at 35 DAS) in both the years. Among nutrient management practices, highest total number of grains cob-1 (313.76, 324.38), test weight (21.97, 22.44 g), grain yield (5399, 5766 kg ha-1) and straw yield (6674, 7041 kg ha-1) were recorded with 75% RDF + 25% N through Vermicompost (M2) and at par with 75% RDF + 25% N through FYM (M3) during rabi 2016-17 and 2017-18 respectively. Out of weed management treatments tested, highest total number of grains cob-1 (365.26, 378.62), test weight (22.06, 22.54 g), grain yield (6275, 6708 kg ha-1) and straw yield (7475 and 7908 kg ha-1) were observed with Topramezone 0.03 kg ha-1 + Atrazine 50 WP 500 g ha-1 at 15 DAS fb HW at 35 DAS {S4} and comparable with {S3} Atrazine 50 WP 500 g ha-1 fb (Topramezone 0.03 kg ha-1 + Atrazine 50 WP 500 g ha-1) at 25 DAS during rabi 2016-17 and 2017-18 respectively. Under various nutrient treatments, significantly 75% RDF + 25% N through Vermicompost (M2) fetched higher net returns (47882, 53424 ha-1) while B:C ratio (2.42, 2.59) was maximum with 75% RDF + 25% N through FYM (M3) in two successive years respectively. Amongst weed management practices, significantly higher net returns (61282, 67886 ha-1) were obtained with S4 (Topramezone 0.03 kg ha-1 + Atrazine 50 WP 500 g ha-1 at 15 DAS fb HW at 35 DAS) and B:C ratio (2.76, 2.95) was realized with {S3} Atrazine 50 WP 500 g ha-1 fb (Topramezone 0.03 kg ha-1 + Atrazine 50 WP 500 g ha-1) at 25 DAS in rabi 2016-17 and 2017-18 respectively.