EFFECT OF INTEGRATED PLANT NUTRITION AND IRRIGATION SCHEDULING ON YIELD AND YIELD COMPONENTS OF MAIZE (zea mays L.)

Effect of three irrigation schedules (4-6 irrigations) and seven integrated plant nutrition levels (control, 125-60-62 kg N-P2O5-K2O ha^-1, 125-60-62 kg N-P2O5--K2O ha^-1 + Farmyard manure @ 10 t ha^-1, 125-60-62 kg N-P2O5--K2O ha^-1 + Farm yard manure @ 15 t ha^-1, 250-120-125 kg N-P2O5--K2O ha^-1, 250-120-125 kg N-P2O5--K2O ha^-1 + Farmyard manure @ 10 t ha^-1 and 250-120-125 kg N-P2O5--K2O ha^-1 + Farmyard manure @ 15 t ha^-1) on grain yield and its components in maize were studied during 2009 and 2010. Plant height, number of cobs plant^-1, number of grain rows cob^-1, number of grains cob^-1, 1000-grain weight, grain weight cob^-1, grain yield, stover yield and biological yield were significantly affected by irrigation schedules and integrated plant nutrition levels during both years. The crop applied with six irrigations and fertilized by integrated application of chemical fertilizers (250-120-125 kg N-P2O5--K2O ha^-1) and farmyard manure (15 t ha^-1) produced the highest grain yield of 8.47 t ha^-1 and 8.22 t ha^-1 during 2009 and 2010, respectively.