Abstract

Smallholder farmers having fragmented lands need fodder and grains simultaneously for earning food security for their families. A study was conducted in Crop Physiology and Ecology Research Field And Laboratory at Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University, Bangladesh during the period of March to July-2013 to investigate the effect of leaf clipping and population density on fodder and grain yield in maize. Three population densities (D₁=75cm×25cm, D₂=60cm×20cm and D₃=50cm×20cm) and three clipping treatments (C₁=no clipping, C₂=removal of all leaf blades below the lowermost cob and C₃=removal of all leaf blades above the uppermost cob) at the silking stage were included as experimental treatments. The experiment was laid out in a two factors Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. Results revealed that D₁ required the maximum days to attain most of the phenological stages of maize. Higher population density (D₃) with C₃ clipping treatment gave the highest plant height, whereas D₁ with non-clipping treatment gave the lowest. Highest total dry matter (TDM) was found in D₂ with C₁ and the lowest was found in D₁ with C₁ treatment. Highest yield (8.88 t ha^-1) and harvest index (36.2%) were found in D₃ treatment whereas the lowest yield (5.92 t ha^-1) in D₁ population density but harvest index (32.6%) was lowest in D₂. The highest yield (8.33 t ha^-1) and harvest index (35.5%) were obtained from C₁ treatment and the lowest yield (6.55 t ha^-1) and harvest index (33.5%) were obtained from C₃ treatment. The highest fodder yield (3.33 t ha^-1) was obtained from D₃ treatment and the lowest (2.11 t ha^-1) in D₁ treatment. In C₂ treatment, the highest D3amount of fodder (4.67 t ha^-1) was obtained. The interaction between population density and leaf clipping treatment showed a significant variation among the yield and yield attributes in maize. It is indicated that D₃ and C₁ combination showed the best performance in respect of grain yield (9.67 t ha^-1) and harvest index (38.3 %) of maize. But for both grain and fodder yield, D₃ with C₂ showed the best performance.

Keywords: Defoliation; yield; Green fodder; Leaf clipping; Zea mays