Response of Different Biofertilizers and Zinc Levels on Growth and Yield of Maize (Zea mays L.)

The study aims to highlights the effect of different biofertilizers and zinc levels on growth and yield of maize (Zea mays. L). The study was conducted during Rabi 2021 at crop Research farm, Department of Agronomy, SHUATS, Prayagraj, (U.P), India. The soil of this experimental plot was sandy loam in texture, nearly neutral in soil reaction (pH 7.1), in low organic carbon (0.36%), available N (171.48 kg/ha), available P (15.2kg/ha), available K (232.5 kg/ha). This experiment was performed in Randomised Block Design with nine treatments each replicated thrice on the basis of one-year experimentation. The treatments which are T1: Azospirillum+ZnSo4 10 kg/ha, T2: Azospirillium­+0.1% ZnSo4, T3: Azospirillum+0.2% ZnSo4, T4: Azotobacter + ZnSo4 10 kg/ha, T5: Azotobacter + 0.1% ZnSo4, T6: Azotobacter + 0.2% ZnSo4, T7: Azotobacter + Azospirillum + ZnSo4 10 kg/ha, T8: Azotobacter + Azospirillum + 0.1% ZnSo4, T9: Azotobacter + Azospirillum + 0.2% ZnSo4. The results showed that application of Azotobacter + Azospirillum + 0.2% ZnSo4 was recorded significantly higher Plant height (195.29 cm), Plant dry weight (183.65 g/plant), Whereas significantly highest crop growth rate (5.31 g/m2/day) was recorded with the treatment Azospirillum + ZnSo4 10 kg/ha. Significantly maximum Cobs/plant (2.60), Cob length (27.17 cm), Rows/cob (15.19), Grains/cob (30.16), weight of grains/cob (140.88 g), seed index (230.66), Cob yield (6.33 t/ha), Stover yield (14.30 t/ha), Harvest index (30.67%), Gross returns (Rs.107553.00/ha), Net returns (Rs.71570.00/ha) and Benefit cost ratio (1.99) were obtained with application of Azotobacter + Azospirillum + 0.2% ZnSo4 as compared to other treatments.