Abstract

                                A field experiment was conducted at Chinnamathampalayam village of Periyanaicanpalayam block of Coimbatore district (11°.21’14” N ; 76°97’78” E) to evaluate the maize genotypes (CMH08 - 156, COH (M) 7, COH (M) 8, CMH08 - 337, COH (M) 9 and CO 6) for yield and phosphorus (P) efficiency indices at varied levels of P application viz., (0, 37.5, 56.5 and 75 kg P2O5 ha-1 (0, 50, 75 and 100 per cent of RDP) in a low P soil. Maize genotype, CMH08- 337 recorded the highest grain yield both under P stress (no P) and P sufficient condition (100% RDP). The highest phosphorus efficiency (PE), phosphorus acquisition efficiency (PAE), and grain yield efficiency index (GYEI) were also recorded by the maize genotype CMH08- 337. Based on GYEI, the genotypes CMH08 -337 and COH (M) 8 with GYEI > 1 were grouped under efficient P users and the remaining genotypes, CMH08 - 156, COH (M) 7, COH (M) 9 and CO 6 were grouped under moderately P users.

Key words : Maize, Genotypes, Phosphorus, Acquisition Efficiency, Use Efficiency.