Performance of nutrient management and different mulching practices on growth and yield of maize under central Uttar Pradesh

The study took place during the summer of 2022 and 2023 at the Soil Conservation and Water Management Farm at Chandra Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture & Technology in Kanpur. It utilized a split-plot design with three replicates, involving twenty-one treatment combinations. These included three mulching methods: M₁ (no mulch), M₂ (dust mulch), and M₃ (rice straw mulch), along with seven integrated nutrient management practices: N₁ (100% RDF + 25% vermicompost/ha), N₂ (75% RDF + 25% vermicompost/ha), N₃ (50% RDF + 25% vermicompost/ha), N₄ (100% RDF + 25% FYM/ha), N₅ (75% RDF + 25% FYM/ha), N6 (50% RDF + 25% FYM/ha), and N₇ (100% RDF). The results indicated that the combination of rice straw mulch with 100% RDF plus 25% vermicompost led to significantly higher growth parameters, including plant height, leaf area index, dry matter accumulation, as well as yield parameters such as grain yield, stover yield, and biological yield.