2024, Vol. 7, Issue 10, Part F

author(s)
Anurag Tripathi, Devansh, Prathistha Chaudhary, Kirti Vardhan Pandey and SR Mishra

abstract
Maize is a crucial cereal crop from the Poaceae family and it is the third most important globally following wheat and rice. In India, maize ranks alongside rice and wheat due to its rapid growth, high yield potential and diverse applications. This study conducted at Acharya Narendra Deva University of Agriculture & Technology during the kharif season of 2022, investigated the impact of sowing dates and maize cultivars on crop growth and yield. The experiment utilized a Split Plot Design (S.P.D.) with three sowing dates (June 5^th, June 15^th and June 25^th) and three cultivars (Kanchan, Sonari (Shweta) and AQH-4) on a silty loam soil with low organic carbon, nitrogen, sulphur and phosphorus but medium in potash. The study revealed that maize sown on July 5^th took the longest to mature. Delayed sowing consistently reduced the duration of all growth stages vegetative growth, flowering, fertilization and grain filling. Specifically, the period from sowing to maturity decreased by approximately 5 days in vegetative growth, 4-5 days in flowering and fertilization and 10-12 days in grain filling. Among cultivars, AQH-04 required 5 additional days to mature compared to Kanchan at the July 25^th sowing, indicating that cultivar choice affects development duration. The reduction in growing degree days (GDD) and heat use efficiency (HUE) with later sowing dates was attributed to higher maximum temperatures and reduced rainfall, which forced quicker physiological maturity and led to lower yields. The July 5^th sowing environment had the highest HUE (0.67 g/m²/°C days), indicating superior efficiency in converting thermal energy into biomass. This study provides insights for improving planting strategies and cultivar selection to enhance maize productivity in the region.