To assess the most adoptable hybrid variety of maize (Zea mays L.) for different doses of nitrogen management with seaweed extract (SoliGro Gr)

A field experiment was laid out during two consecutive kharif season of 2018 and 2019 at Student’s Instructional Farm, Chandra Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture and Technology, Kanpur to assess the most adoptable hybrid variety of maize (Zea mays L.) for different doses of nitrogen management with seaweed extract (SoliGro Gr). Factorial combination of the two factors viz. hybrid varieties at 3 levels and different doses of nitrogen management with seaweed extract (SoliGro Gr) at six levels gave a total of eighteen treatments which was laid in a Randomized Block Design with 3 replications. The hybrid variety DKC-7074 not only recorded significantly better growth parameters viz. plant height (102.21 cm), number of leaves/plant (12.17), fresh (154.28 g) and dry weight (76.78 g) but also attained better yield attributes viz. cobs/ plant (1.23), number of grains/ cob (266.71), cob length (21.24 cm) and test weight (251.00 g) along with highest biological yield (168.11q/ha), grain yield (36.31q/ha), stover yield (131.75q/ha) and harvest index (21.64%). Similarly, the application of SoliGro with 125% N basal + top dressing recorded significantly higher growth parameters viz. plant height (100.34 cm), number of leaves/plant (12.07), fresh (151.51 g) and dry weight (75.57 g) but also attained better yield attributes viz. cobs/ plant (1.27), number of grains/ cob (265.94), cob length (21.23 cm) and test weight (253.45 g) along with highest biological yield (167.73q/ha), grain yield (36.05q/ha), stover yield (131.69q/ha) and harvest index (21.91%). Interestingly, the treatment combination of hybrid variety DKC-7074 and SoliGro with 125%N of two time as Basal & Top dressing gave significantly higher growth parameters, yield attributes and yields in pooled data of 2018 and 2019 in study years.