Effect of nitrogen and phosphorus levels on growth, yield and qualitynof forage maize

Abstract

An experiment was conducted during rabi season of 2010-11 at Instructional farm of Department of Agronomy, JAU, Junagadh (Gujarat ) to find the effect of nitrogen and phosphorus on yield, quality and economics of forage maize. The soil of the experimental plot was clayey in texture and slightly alkaline in reaction (8.0 pH). The experiment was laid out in Randomized Block Design with factorial concept with three replications consisting of fom levels of each factor, i.e. nitrogen in O (control), N 1 (60 kg ha· 1 ), N2 (80 kg ha1 ) and 3 (100 kg ha· 1 ) and phosphorus in P0 (control), P1 (30 kg ha1), P2 (40 kg ha· 1) and P3 (50 kg ha· 1 ). The results indicated that, application of 100 kg ha· 1 ( 3 ) and phosphorus 50 kg Pp5 ha· 1 (P3 ) recorded significantly the highest plant height, number of leaves per plant, number of internodes per plant, stem thickness, length of internodes, leaf area index, chlorophyll content, green forage yield, crude protein content of fodder, nitrogen and phosphorus content of fodder, nitrogen and phosphorus uptake by fodder maize crop. The application of 100 kg ha· 1 ( ) and phosphorus 50 kg Pp5 ha· 1 (P3 ) were significantly increased available nitrogen, phosphorus and organic carbon % status in soil after harvest of maize crop and proved beneficial in recording maximum gross returns, net returns and Cost Benefit Ratios of fodder maize crop.