Efficacy of Different Tillage and Weed Management Practices on Phenology and Yield of Winter Maize (Zea mays L.) in Chitwan, Nepal

Abstract

A field research trial at experimental station of National Maize Research Program (NMRP), Rampur, Chitwan, Nepal during winter 2015/16 was conducted to study the effects of different tillage and weed management practices on yield and yield attributing characters of winter maize (Zea mays L.). The experiment was laid out in split plot design with two tillage methods (no tillage and conventional tillage) as main plot factor and seven weed management practices as sub plot factor (sequential application of atrazine 0.75 a.i. kg/ha fb 2,4-D at 1.5 kg/ha; pre-emergence tank mix application of atrazine at 0.75 kg/ha and glyphosate at 2.5 ml/Lit. of water; pre-emergence tank mix application of atrazine at 0.75 kg/ha and pendimethalin at the rate 2 ml/L of water; cowpea co-culture; black polythene mulch, weed free and weedy check). From the study the highest grain yield (7.07 t/ha) was obtained from black polythene mulch which was statistically similar to weed free check (5.91 t/ha). Other weed management practices produced an intermediate yield between black polythene mulch and weedy check which produced the lowest grain yield (3.16 t/ha). Also, tillage methods significantly influence the harvest index, significantly higher harvest index was found in no tillage (46.49%) as compared to conventional tillage practices (42.12%).