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Plant density studies in maize in India

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

K. P. P. Nair
Affiliation:
Department of Agronomy, G. B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar, India
R. P. Singh
Affiliation:
Department of Agronomy, G. B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar, India

Summary

Experiments made over a period of 3 years (1971–73) at Pantnagar, India, on the effect of plant density and spatial arrangement of a hybrid variety of maize (Ganga 2) and a local cultivar (Rudrapur) indicated that a density of (at least) 75000 plants/ha is necessary to obtain maximum grain yield. With increasing density from 25000 to 75000 plants/ha the date when 75 % of plants were silking was delayed 2–5 days and the percentage of barren plants increased from 1·7 to 28·7. In dense stands, grain yield of the hybrid variety was less affected by increasing row width from 60 to 90 cm than it was in the local cultivar.

The average increase in yield with narrow (60 cm) row width as compared with wider (75 cm) row width was 6.8 % and it is argued that, in the context of the national need for increased food production, this increase cannot be overlooked.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1976

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