Climate Change Adaptation: Real Time Nitrogen Management in Maize (Zea mays L.) Using Leaf Colour Chart

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted at Instructional Farm, College of Agriculture, Junagadh Agricultural University, Junagadh during rabi 2011-12 and 2012-13 to study the real time nitrogen management using leaf colour chart (LCC) in maize (Zea mays L.). Basal dose of 20-50 kg N-P 2 O 5 / ha was applied in all the treatments. Top dressing of 60 or 80 N in form of Urea in two splits at LCC 2, 3, 4 and 5 were compared with fixed time N application [50 kg N/ha at 30 DAS + 30 kg N/ha at 60 days after sowing (DAS)]. Top dressing of 50 kg N/ha + 30 kg N/ha when LCC=4 or LCC=5 significantly improved growth and yield attributes viz., plant height, dry matter accumulation/plant, number of leaves/plant, stem diameter, number of internodes/ plant, leaf area index, cob length, cob girth, number of cobs/plant, number of grains/cob, grain weight/plant and 1000-grain weight along with higher grain and stover yields, grain protein content and economic returns over fixed time application of 50 kg N/ha at 30 DAS + 30 kg N/ha at 60 DAS.