Influence Of Precision Nutrient Management On Growth Productivity And Nutrient Use Efficiency Of Rabi Maize Zea mays L Under South Odisha Conditions

Abstract

Cereal crops cultivation is one of the important agriculture practices adopted worldwide, newlinewhich provides dietary energy and food security. Among different cereal crops, maize newlineholds its own importance in terms of area, production and productivity. As maize is highly newlinenutrient draining crop, its sustainable yield is dependent on proper nutrient management. newlineThe regional recommended dose of fertilizers and blanket application of nutrients cannot newlinefulfill the requirements for improving maize productivity and optimizing input demands. newlineOptimum, précised and timely application of nutrients are essential in maize for newlineimproving nutrient use efficiency. Considering the above facts, an experiment was newlinedesigned on the precision nutrient management in maize for optimizing primary nutrient newlinerequirement and enhancing crop yield. The experiment was conducted for two newlineconsecutive years during rabi season (November-March) of 2021-22 and 2022-23 at Post newlineGraduate Research Farm of M.S. Swaminathan School of Agriculture, Centurion newlineUniversity of Technology and Management, Odisha, India. The experimental was newlineconducted in brown forest soil which was sandy loam in texture. The experiment was laid newlineout in a Randomized Complete Block Design with 13 treatments and each treatment was newlinereplicated thrice. The details of the treatments were as follows. T1: recommended dose of newlinefertilizer (RDF), T2:125% RDF, T3:75% RDF, T4:150% RDF, T5:RDF + nano urea, newlineT6:75% RDF + nano urea, T7:leaf colour chart (LCC) 4-based nitrogen management, newlineT8:LCC 5-based nitrogen management, T9: chlorophyll content meter (CCM) sufficiency newlineindex (SI)-based nitrogen management at SI 85-90%, T10: CCM SI-based N management newlineat SI 90-95%, T11:nutrient expert (NE)-based nutrient recommendation for targeted yield newlineof 7t ha-1, T12:NE-based nutrient recommendation for targeted yield of 9t ha-1 and T13: newlineunfertilized control. Along with these treatments, a separate reference plot was made for newlineample dose application of nitrogen (200% nitrogen) for calculation of sufficiency index. newlineThe soil of