EVALUATION OF FLOWERING, PHYSIOLOGICAL MATURITY AND GRAIN YIELD OF MAIZE UNDER DIFFERENT LEVELS OF NITROGEN AND PLANT POPULATION

An experiment was carried out at Mangalpur, Chitwan, Nepal during winter season of 2006/07 in order to find out effect of nitrogen and plant population on flowering, maturity and grain yield of maize. The five levels of nitrogen; 0, 50, 100, 150 and 200 kg N/ha and three levels of plant population; 55555, 66666 and 83333 plants/ha were applied in the experiment. Tasseling and silking days were decreased with increasing nitrogen levels and were significantly lowest under the application of 200 kg N/ha+55555 plants/ha. The physiological maturity was increased with increasing nitrogen and plant population levels. Under 200 kg N/ha + 66666 plants/ha the grain yield was the highest which was followed by grain yield produced with the application of 150 kg N/ha+83333 plants/ha. In combination with 83333 plants/ha, the optimum level of nitrogen was 150 kg N/ha for higher grain yield. The findings of this study suggested that flowering days can be shortened at 200 kg N/ha + 55555 plants/ha and maize production can be maximized at 200 kg N/ha + 66666 plants/ha.