Role of Thiourea in Improving Productivily of Rainfed Maize (Zea mays L.)
Role of thiourea (TU), a sulphydryl compound being capable of potentiating sulphydryl (-SH) turnover, was studied through its 0.1％ and 0.2％ foliar sprays at knee high, tasseling and grain filling stages of rainfed maize during kharif seasons of 2001, 2002 and 2003, where rainfalls were 40.07, 44.50 and 0.33％ less than normal (890mm), respectively. The pooled results for 3 years showed that TU spray at either concentration improved the yield attributes, grain and biological yield of maize significantly over unsprayed control. However, irrespective of crop stage, the higher concentration of 0.2％ TU was more effective than lower concentration. Further, the crop response to TU spray was more pronounced when sprayed at grain filling stage compared to tasseling and knee high stages. Foliar spray of 0.2％ TU at grain filling stage resulted in significant increase in number of grains/cob (24.66％) and test weight (10.33％) that eventually resulted 26.93％ increase in grain yield over unsprayed control (2346kg/ha). The biological yield (above ground biomass) under this treatment also significantly increased (19.35％) over control (7508kg/ha). The harvest index calculated under this treatment was improved by 1.98％ over unsprayed control (31.25％). Number of green leaves at physiological maturity were higher by 2.15 leaves/plant with 0.2％ TU applied at grain filling stage over unsprayed control (6.38/plant). Increase in grain yield due to TU spray seems to be based on increased canopy photosynthesis by virtue of biological activity of -SH group. It is also observed that leaf senescence was delayed with spray of TU. Our results indicate that foliar spray of 0.2％ TU at grain filling stage of maize could be a potential bio-regulator for improving photosynthetic activity and grain yield of rainfed maize.
Thiourea (TU) Bio-regulator -SH group Photosynthetic activity Harvest index Maize
G. S. Ameta Mahender Singh H. L. Mahala P. H. Zaidi
Agricultural Research Station, Maharana Pratap University of Agriculture & Technology, Banswara-327 Directorate of Maize Research, IARI, New Delhi-12, India
国际会议
第九届亚洲玉米大会(the Ninth Asian Regional Maize Workshop)
北京
英文
136-139
2005-09-05（万方平台首次上网日期，不代表论文的发表时间）