PERFORMANCE OF MAIZE UNDER DIFFERENT PHOSPHORUS LEVELS ANDPLANTING METHODS IN HIGH PHOSPHORUS SOILS INNORTHEN TELANGANA ZONE

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted at Agricultural Research Station, Karimnagar, Northern Telangana Agro Climatic Zone of Telangana State during kharif 2018 and 2019 to study the effect of different levels of phosphorus on growth and yield of maize in high phosphorus soils (79 kgha-1)under raised and flat beds. The experiment was laid out in strip plot design for maize in kharif 2018 and 2019 with 2 main treatments i.e., M1 (Raised beds) and M2 (Flat beds) and five phosphorus levels applied as basal dose as sub treatments viz., S1: 100 % RDP (60 kg ha-1), S2: 75 % RDP (45 kg ha-1), S3: 50 % RDP (30 kg ha-1), S4: 25 % RDP (15 kg ha-1) and S5: 0 % RDP (0 kg ha-1)and replicated four times. The performance of the maizewas found superior whenplanted on raised beds with higher final plant population (per cent) and growth parameters viz., plant height (cm)and dry matter production (kg ha- 1) at 30, 60 DAS and at harvest. The highest grain, stover yield (kg ha-1) and harvest index of maize were found significantly higher underraised beds (M1) compared to the flat beds (M2). In the sub treatments application of 100% RDP (S1) and 75 % RDP (S2)
recorded higher plant height at different stages of crop growth that resulted highest dry matter accumulation at 30, 60 DAS and at harvest. The grain yield and stover yield were significantly higher with the 100 % RDP and was followed by the application of 75% RDP and 50 % RDP and which were at par with each other and superior over 25 % RDP and 0 % RDP. The interaction between planting methodsand different levels of phosphorus was found non significant.