Effect of Tillage and Weed Management on Maize (Zea mays L.) Yield and Nutrient Uptake

The field experiment was carried out during two consecutive kharif seasons of 2018 and 2019 at Agricultural Research Station, Tandur, Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University, Rajendranagar, Telangana. The study employed a strip-plot design, where tillage methods (conventional and reduced) were assigned to vertical plots and various weed management practices were allotted to horizontal plots, replicated thrice. N, P and K uptake by maize was highest in conventionally tilled plots than in reduced tillage plots with no significant difference between them. The removal of N, P and K by weeds was highest in the weedy check treatment. Hand weeding twice at 20 and 40 DAS recorded higher N, P and K uptake which was on par with Atrazine 50% WP @ 0.5 kg a.i. ha-1 + Tembotrione 42% SC @ 120 g a.i. ha-1 (early PoE) fb HW at 40 DAS and Atrazine 50% WP @ 1.0 kg a.i. ha-1 (PE) fb Tembotrione 42% SC @ 120 g a.i. ha-1 (PoE). Results revealed that there is no significant difference (p<0.05) between tillage practices with respect to the yield of maize. Higher grain yields of maize were obtained with two hand weedings which was on par with Atrazine 50% WP @ 0.5 kg a.i. ha-1 + Tembotrione 42% SC @ 120 g a.i. ha-1 (early PoE) fb HW at 40 DAS and Atrazine 50% WP @ 1.0 kg a.i. ha-1 (PE) fb Tembotrione 42% SC @ 120 g a.i. ha-1 (PoE). The interaction effect of tillage and weed management practices was found to be non-significant. Conventional tillage along with hand weeding twice at 20 and 40 DAS resulted in higher plant dry matter and consequently highest N, P and K nutrients uptake by the plants and lead to higher yield.