Impact of Tillage Tools and Weeding Regimes on Nutritive Values of Maize Grains
Luqman* and Zahid Hussain
ABSTRACT
Two field trials were conducted at the Agronomy Research Farm of the University of Agriculture, Peshawar during the summer seasons of 2016 and 2017. The maize variety ‘Azam’ was sown in a layout of RCB design with split-plot arrangement, replicated four times. Data were recorded on the nutritive status of maize grains including crude protein content, fat content, ash content and dry matter content of the maize grains. The results showed 13% protein content, 5.8 % fat content, 0.93 % ash content and 89.6 % dry matter content in the maize grains, which were the higher values achieved in plots treated with mouldboard plough, while in the weeding regimes the crude protein content, fat content, ash content and dry matter contents were highest (13.8, 6.7, 1.0 and 92.5%, respectively) in the full season weeded treatments, followed by weeding for 12 weeks and so on. Similarly, lowest crude protein content, fat content, ash content and dry matter content (12.3, 4.6, 0.85 and 87.1%, respectively) were found in the full season weedy treatments, followed by weedy for 12 weeks, and so forth. For the interaction between tillage and weeding regimes, the maximum crude protein content, fat content, ash content and dry matter content were found in the treatments of mouldboard plough under full season weeding regime. Further, the nutritive status of maize grains gradually declined with increasing the weedy-ness duration of the crop.
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