Farmer's Notebook
Drought-tolerant maize for northern plains
By Our Agriculture Correspondent
SCIENTISTS AT the Division of Genetics at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi, have developed high-yielding and drought-tolerant maize (Zea mays) that does well in the northern plains.
The new maize of medium-maturity performs well under low-input and moisture stress conditions, and it is released for commercial cultivation under the name `Pusa Composite-3', according to Dr. S. Nagarajan, Director, IARI.
Plant characteristics
Growing to an average height of 217 cm, the plants of this maize composite are resistant to lodging. The stalks are of excellent forage quality because of their stay-green character. The ear heads are long and they bear yellow flint grains.
Disease resistant
The maize composite is tolerant to major foliar diseases, and the maize stalk borer (Chilo partellus) pest. It is suited for cultivation both as irrigated and rain fed crop. It adapts well to northern plains of India, according to the scientists, who developed this composite.
`Pusa Composite-3' has an average yield potential of 4388 kg a hectare under normal conditions. It showed 9.6 per cent higher yield over the best check variety in the coordinated trials conducted over 6 years in 34 locations.
Higher yield
It recorded 11.2 per cent more yield than `Navjot' and 31.8 per cent higher than `Ageti-76'. It out yielded `Pusa Composite-II' by about 35 per cent. In the demonstration trials at IARI it recorded a high yield of 7262 kg a hectare, and bettered the yield of the check hybrid by 51.1 per cent, according to the scientists.
In kharif 2003, it bettered the yields of all the varieties and hybrids tested along with it on a research farm at IARI. It yielded 5111 kg a hectare, while the others yielded only less than 5000 kg a hectare. In other operational research trials also it proved its mettle, and yielded much higher than the other two checks. A seed rate of 15 to 20 kg is recommended to cover a hectare with this composite. A nutrient dose of 80 kg of nitrogen and 60 kg each of phosphorus and potash a hectare is prescribed as a blanket application.
Well adapted
However, the dose may be reduced suitably depending on the soil fertility as indicated by the soil test results. The composite does extremely well under low-nutrient levels as well, and it may be adapted well to organic farming practices.
The composite will be a boon to the maize growers in the northern plains. With its high yielding potential, medium-duration and its capacity to do well in low-input and moisture-stress conditions, it will be widely accepted by the farming community.
The stay-green feature of its stalks will also make it more attractive for inclusion in the integrated farming systems, where the forage quality will be of great significance.
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