INFLUENCE OF TILLAGE AND NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT PRACTICES ON YIELD AND YIELD ATTRIBUTES OF MAIZE (ZEA MAYS L.)

An investigation was carried out at Agricultural research farm of Banda university of Agriculture and Technology Banda U.P. during the Kharif season 2021.The comprehensive aim of experiment was to explore the most appropriate tillage practices for the maize crop that could produce optimum yield more remunerative along with better profitability and also to find out effective nutrient management practices that suited well to the region.The experiment comprises of two factor treatments conducted in split plot design with three main plot factor and three sub-plot factors.The total combination of treatments was nine and each treatment replicate thrice.The main plot consisted of the tillage practices namely, zero tillage, conventional tillage and permanent bed.Further, each main plot had divided in to 3 sub-plots held three nutrient management practices viz.33% recommended dose of nitrogen (40 kg N ha -1 ), 100% recommended dose of fertilizer (N:P:K-120:60:50 kg ha -1 ) and site specific nutrient management (N:P:K-160:50:60 kg ha -1 ).The soil in which experiment conducted was silty clay and their pH value 7.89, EC 0.55 dSm -1 and total organic carbon was 0.76%.The observation in growth parameter and quantitative and qualitative attributes of maize were recorded as per schedule.During the field study it was observed that the highest yield attributes (number of cobs ha -1 , number of rows cob -1 , number of grains row -1 , number of grain cob -1 , nob length (cm), nob girth (cm) and Seed index), grain yield and biological yield recorded under zero tillage.Among the nutrient management practices the site-specific nutrient management (SSNM) practice produced maximum yield (economic yield and biological yield) and yield attributes.Among all interaction of tillage and nutrient management practices, the zero-tillage practice along with SSNM produced maximum output, more remunerative and this combination practically feasible and economically viable to production of maize.