Spring maize (Zea mays L. response to different crop establishment and moisture management practices in north west plains of India
Maize cultivation for green cobs during the spring season is a remunerative proposition for the farmers in the north Indian plains. However, high evapo transpiration demand of spring maize exerts considerable pressure on already depleting water resources. Thus, a two year field experiment was conducted at GBPUA T, Pantnagar, Uttarakhand, India to determine the effect of rice residue mulch, earthing up, alternate furrow irrigation and crop establishment methods on productivity, profitability and irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE) of spring maize. Results revealed that application of rice straw mulch (6 t/ha) enhanced plant height, number of green leaves, dry matter accumulation, leaf area index and yield attributes. Reproductive stage set in advance in mulch treated plots compared to plots under other treatments. Green cob yield from mulched plot was the highest that was 37% higher over the flat planting alone. Broad bed planting and flat planting followed by earthing up treatments produced the second and third highest cob yield, respectively. Planting on broad bed registered the highest IWUE (352.5 kg/ha cm) Mulch treatment also earned higher net returns and B: C ratio than remaining treatments.