ite specific nutrient management and its effect on growth and yield of winter maize
An experiment was conducted on farmer’s field in Khajura, Banke for site specific nutrient management (SSNM) in hybrid maize (Rajkumar) during winter season of 2016. The climatic condition of the experimental location was humid sub-tropical and sandy loam soil occurring intense summer and severe winter. Average annual rainfall of 1000 -1500 mm occurs in the location. The experiment was replicated 4 times in Randomized complete block design having plot size of 4.8 x 3 m2. Row to row spacing was maintained at 60 cm and plant to plant at 25 cm for each plot. There were six treatments including farmers fertilization practice (27.6:27.6:18 NP2O5K2O kgha-1) as a check, recommended dose of fertilizer (160:60:40 NP2O5K2O kgha-1), site specific nutrient management (212.9:66.8:280.8 NP2O5K2O kgha-1), 75% SSNM (372.6:116.9:491.4 NP2O5K2O kgha-1), FP-N, FP-P, SSNM-K (27.6:27.6:280.8 NP2O5K2O kgha-1) and SSNM-N, FP-P, FP-K (212.9:27.6:27.6 NP2O5K2O kgha-1). Among the treatment combination; application of SSNM we can increase the yield by 193% over farmer fertilization practice. Recommended dose of fertilizer and 75 percent SSNM also increase the yield by 138% and 130.4% respectively compared to farmer fertilization practice. 88% and 53.5% more increment could also be obtained through the application of only SSNM dose of nitrogen and SSNM dose of potassium respectively over farmer fertilization practice.