Effect of premonsoon sowing and land management practices on growth, yield parameters and yield of rainfed maize

摘要

The expected Indian population exceeded 100 crores in the year 2000 and that the same time the demand of this growing population for food and other agricultural commodities remain uncertain makes a necessity to utilize the untapped drylands effectively, which accounts to 55 per cent to total cultivable area in Tamil Nadu (4 m ha) against nearly 100 m ha of drylands in India. Maize is gaining importance in Tamil Nadu presently, particularly in rainfed tracts due to its increasing demand for poultryand animal feeds. Time and labour in addition to water are the main constraints for the dryland farmer, since the agriculture operation of dryland agriculture starts with monsoon rains. One strategy to overcome the problem cited elsewhere (erratic natureof rainfall, extreme temperature deviation, high evaporative demand, soil erosion, marginal productivity of the soils etc.) is attempting through advanced sowing in anticipation of monsoon rains (Nalawadmath et al. 1991). The utilisation of soil moisture could be improved further through seed hardening with electrolyte solutions (Vanangamudi and Kulandivelu, 1989). Such studies were elaborately conducted for dryland crops other than maize in Tamil Nadu. Hence, present study was undertaken.