INTERACTIVE EFFECTS OF MULCH, IRRIGATION AND NITROGEN ON MAIZE (ZEA MAYS L.) PRODUCTIVITY

Combined effects of mulch, irrigation and nitrogen application at optimum level played an important role in influencing crop and water use efficiency. A field experiment was conducted during main maize growing season i.e. June to October for two consecutive years i.e. 2020 and 2021 with three N levels i.e. N1 (100 kg N ha-1), N2 (125 kg N ha-1) and N3 (150 kg N ha-1) in main plots, two mulch treatments including without mulch (M1) and with mulch application at the rate of 6 t ha-1 (M2) in sub plots and two irrigation regimes {IW/PAN-E ratio 0.6 (I1) and 0.9 (I2)} in sub-sub plots. The pooled data of two years indicated that the N31I2 treatment under mulch application resulted in significant increase of plant height, hundred grain weight, crop biomass, grain yield and water use efficiency of maize by 23.1%, 14.3%, 41.3%, 46.9 %, and 31.3%, respectively, over N1I1 un-mulched treatment. The root mass density increased with increase in nitrogen level and more so under mulch application. However, the interactive effects of mulch, irrigation and nitrogen were found to be not significant for most of the plant parameters. The average soil moisture content recorded at the time of maize harvesting was also observed to be higher under mulch application by 26.6% over un-mulched plots.