Abstract

                                A field experiment was conducted to study the effect of silicon fertilization on growth and yield of hybrid maize under irrigated and rainfed conditions during Rabi, 2017-18 at Eastern Block farm of Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore. The treatments comprised of two factors. Factor one consistsed of three irrigation strategies viz., M₁ – adequate irrigation (at regular intervals), M₂ – limited irrigation (at critical stages) and M3 – no irrigation (rainfed) and factor two consistsed of silicon sources viz., S₁ - seed priming with 1.5 mM of sodium meta silicate for 12 hrs, S₂ – foliar application of silicic acid @ 0.2 % at knee high and tassel initiation stages, S₃ – seed priming with 1.5 mM sodium meta silicate and foliar application of silicic acid @ 0.2 % twice at knee high and tassel initiation stages, S₄ – water spray and S₅ – control. The results of the study indicated that adequate irrigation strategy registered significantly higher growth and yield parameters, grain and stover yield of maize. Higher grain yield 6679 kg/ha was recorded under adequate irrigation (M₁) condition. Silicon application as seed priming with 1.5 mM of sodium meta silicate and foliar application of silicic acid @ 0.2 % at knee high and tassel initiation stages was recorded higher grain yield of 6130 kg/ha. It was comparable with foliar application of silicic acid @ 0.2 % at knee high and tassel initiation stages alone in registering higher growth and yield of maize.

Key words : Maize, Irrigation strategies, Silicon sources, Yield