Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

EFFECT OF TREATED SEWAGE WATER AND ORGANIC MANURE ONGROWTH INDICES, PHENOLOGY, COB DIMENSIONS ANDECONOMICS OF SPRING MAIZE (ZEA MAYS L.) IN SEMI-ARIDREGION OF HARYANA, INDIA

Raj Kumar, Uma Devi, Parveen Kumar, Neelam1and Preetam Kumar

Abstract

An experiment was conducted during spring 2020 at Student Farm, CCS Haryana Agricultural UniversityHisar, Haryana to study the effect of single cross hybrids, irrigation sources and organic manures on growthindices, phenology, cob dimensions and economics of maize. The experiment was laid out in split plotdesign with 3 replications consisting of two single cross hybrids(HQPM-1 and HQPM-5) and two irrigationsources (Canal water and Treated sewage water) in main plots while four levels of organic manure (Nomanure, 100% RDN though FYM, 100% RDN though vermicompost and 50% RDN though FYM + 50%RDNthough vermicompost) in subplots.HQPM-1 had earlier flowering, higher growth rate (absolute, crop andrelative), girth and length of cob, gross and net returns in comparison to HQPM-5. Similarly, application oftreated sewage water recorded earlier flowering, higher growth rates, cob dimensions and economics ascompared to canal water. So the treated water can be used for replacement of conventional water. Highestgrowth rates, cob dimensions, gross returns and earlier flowering was recorded with application of 100%RDN through vermicompost. However, highest net returns was achieved under 100% RDN through FYM.