Productivity, nutrient use efficiency, energetics and bio-economics of winter maize in south India

Abstract

Maize area is rapidly spreading in south India in response to rising demand from the poultry and fish feed industries. The planting of maize during winter season is necessary to increase the total area and production of maize. The present investigation encompassing different sowing windows with different fertility levels revealed that significantly higher winter maize productivity was achieved from first and second week of October planting along with application of 200 % RDF(recommended dose of fertilizer) followed by 150 % RDF. Planting of winter maize during first week of October recorded significantly higher grain yield (8786 kg ha-1) and stover yield (1220 kg ha-1) and was found on par with sowing during second week of October. Among fertility levels, significantly higher grain yield (8320 kg ha -1) and stover yield (1195 kg ha-1) were recorded with application of 200 % RDF and was found on par with application of 150 % RDF. Similarly higher dry matter production, more days for physiological maturity, higher accumulation of growing degree days, photo thermal units and heliothermal units were recorded from crop planted during first and second week of October along with application of either 200 % or 150 % RDF. Further higher nutrient use efficiency was recorded from first and second week October planted crop along with lower fertility level (100 % RDF). Similarly significantly higher output energy, net energy and specific energy were higher from crop planted during first week of planting along with application of 200 % RDF. Also it recorded higher net returns and gross returns Whereas, energy use efficiency and energy productivity were higher with planting during first week of October along with application of 100 % RDF.