Volume 14, Issue 55, 2025 (July – September)
Research Article
Impact of Fertilizer Doses with Zinc and Nitrogen on the Growth of Maize (Zea mays L.) varieties
Syamala.B., Singh.H., Choudhary.B.L, Yadla.V.G.L.
Keywords: Maize (Zea mays L.), Nitrogen, Zinc sulfate, Foliar application, Recommended dose of fertilizers (RDF), Randomized Block Design (RBD)
DOI:10.37273/chesci.cs302056076
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Abstract
A field experiment was conducted during the Kharif season of 2024 at Vivekananda Global University, Jaipur, to evaluate the impact of varying nitrogen and zinc fertilizer doses on the growth performance of maize (Zea mays L.) under semi-arid conditions. The experiment comprised nine treatments involving different recommended doses of fertilizers (RDF) combined with soil and foliar application of zinc sulfate, laid out in a randomized block design. The results indicated significant effects of nitrogen and zinc application on key growth parameters, including plant population, plant height, days to 50% tasseling, and days to 75% maturity. The highest plant population and maximum plant height were recorded with 125% RDF combined with foliar-applied zinc sulfate (T9), demonstrating the superiority of foliar application at higher nutrient levels. T9 also showed the earliest tasseling, whereas the earliest maturity was observed under lower nutrient doses (T2 and T1), suggesting a trade-off between growth vigor and crop duration. The findings highlight that integrated application of nitrogen and zinc, particularly through foliar feeding, optimizes maize growth and development, contributing to improved productivity in semi-arid agro-ecosystems.
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