Full Length Research Paper
Abstract
A two year field experiment was conducted to evaluate the ramification of nitrogen sources on the physiology and yield of hybrid maize (Zea mays L.) at the Agronomic Research Area, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Pakistan, during 2008 to 2009. The experiment design was a randomized complete block design (RCBD) under factorial arrangement with three replications. Treatments comprised two hybrids: that is; H1 (Pioneer-30Y87) and H2 (Pioneer-31R88) with six nitrogen sources S0 : control (0) kg N ha-1, S1 : chemical source (urea) @ 250 kg N ha-1 , S2: poultry manure (PM) @ 9.6 t ha-1, S3 : farm yard manure (FYM) @17.8t ha-1 , S4: press mud of sugarcane (PMS) @ 8.5 t ha-1 and S5: compost (C) @ 10.0 t ha-1. Plant height (cm), 1000-grain weight (g), grain yield (t ha-1), leaf area index, leaf area duration, dry matter accumulation, crop growth rate, and net assimilation rate varied with treatments in 2008, but plant height (cm), 1000-grain weight (g) and grain yield (t ha-1) did not differ with treatments in 2009. Physiological traits, such as leaf area index, leaf area duration, dry matter accumulation, crop growth rate and net assimilation rate also responded to treatments. Hybrid maize H1 (Pioneer 30Y87) produced more grain yield due to enhanced physiological traits with urea compared to other sources of N. Hybrid maize H1 (Pioneer 30Y87) produced better grain yield and indirectly enhanced physiological traits when nitrogen sources were applied as chemical (urea) @ 250 kg N ha-1 as compared to other sources of nitrogen.
Key words: Nitrogen, hybrid maize, yield, physiological traits.
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