Pantnagar Journal of Research

Abstract

The study was carried out during kharif 2016 and 2017 at GBPUA&T, Pantnagar to investigate the effect of potassiumsplitting and differential placement of NPK doses on dry matter yield, NPK content and uptake by hybrid maize. The experimentconsisting of two K split applications (100% K as basal and 50% as basal + 50 % before earthing up practice) and eight NPK doses (different combinations of NPK at 75 and 100% of recommended dose) was conducted in factorial RBD with three replications. The differential placement was done in equal splits at 5 cm and 10-12 cm depths. The control was farmers' practice (100% NPK dose with100% K as basal at 5 cm depth). The nutrient contents in grain, stover and rachis did not vary significantly due to different nutrient management practices except N content in stover and rachis. Dry grain (3.95 t/ha) and stover (6.17 t/ha) yields and uptake of N (110.6 kg/ha), P (32.3 kg/ha) and K (102.4 kg/ha) were found significantly higher with split application of potassium. Differential placement of 100% dose of NPK, being at par with 100% NP + 75% K and 100% NK + 75% P resulted into significantly higher dry matter yields and total N and K uptake by maize than other treatments. Significantly higher P uptake was also noticed in 100% NPK which was at par with 100% NP+75% K. Farmers' practice was significantly inferior to differential placement of 100% NPK fertilizers under both with and without K split application for yield.