Effect of Sowing Methods and NPK Levels on Growth and Yield of Rainfed Maize (Zea mays L.)

Table 2

Yield contributing characters of maize as affected by sowing methods and NPK levels.

Treatments	Yield attributes
	Cob length (cm)	Cobs plant^−1	Grains cob^−1	Cob diameter (cm)	Number of rows cob^−1	100-grain weight (g)
2011
S1 (flat sowing)	12.05	1.10	322.91	1.83	15.71	19.67
S2 (ridge sowing)	14.40	1.10	334.97	2.15	16.09	20.45
SE(m) ±	0.07	0.01	1.48	0.07	0.17	0.22
CD ()	0.22	NS	4.60	0.22	NS	0.69
F1 (60 : 40 : 20)	11.49	1.06	318.94	1.73	14.29	19.81
F2 (75 : 50 : 30)	13.96	1.12	332.94	2.09	16.31	20.66
F3 (90 : 60 : 40)	14.23	1.12	334.94	2.14	17.10	20.71
SE(m) ±	0.10	0.01	1.84	0.09	0.25	0.27
CD ()	0.31	NS	5.67	0.28	0.75	0.85
2012
S1 (flat sowing)	13.97	1.10	332.00	1.99	16.13	20.30
S2 (ridge sowing)	16.93	1.13	340.00	2.24	16.25	21.87
SE(m) ±	0.22	0.01	1.36	0.03	0.15	0.25
CD ()	0.68	0.02	4.20	0.11	NS	0.78
F1 (60 : 40 : 20)	14.49	1.08	330.40	1.84	14.88	19.83
F2 (75 : 50 : 30)	15.85	1.13	336.80	2.17	16.48	21.58
F3 (90 : 60 : 40)	16.19	1.14	340.00	2.25	17.22	21.83
SE(m) ±	0.27	0.01	1.68	0.04	0.23	0.31
CD ()	0.84	0.02	5.18	0.13	0.67	0.97

SE(m): standard error of mean, CD: critical difference.