Production potential and economics of rainfed maize (Zea mays L.)as influenced by farm yard manure and biodigester liquid manure under southern transitional zone of Karnataka

A field experiment was conducted during kharif 2010 under rainfed condition on red sandy loam soil to study the effect of farm yard manure and biodigester liquid manure on production potential and economics of rainfed maize (Zea mays L.) at Agricultural Research Station, University of Agricultural Sciences (Bengaluru), Bhavikere, Karnataka. There were totally 13 treatment combinations comprasing different levels of farm yard manure (FYM) (7.5, 10 and 12.5 t/ha) and biodigester liquid manure equivalent (75, 100, 125 and 150 kg N/ha) compared with control (FYM 7.5 t/ha+RDF : 100 : 50 : 25 kg NPK/ ha). Application of FYM at 12.5 t/ha+biodegester liquid manure equivalent at 150 kg N/ ha recorded significantly higher grain weight (105.2 g/cob), number of seeds/cob (421.0), number of rows/cob (15.1), cob girth (15.6 cm), cob length (17.0 cm), grain yield (56.2 q/ ha), straw yield (108.9 q/ha), harvest index (0.38), gross returns (Rs. 46,391/ha), net returns (Rs. 34,989/ha) and B : C (3.1) and it was on par with application of FYM at 10 t/ha+biodegester liquid manure equivalent at 150 kg N/ha recorded higher grain weight (104.3 g/cob), number of seeds/cob (420.4), nimber of rows/cob (14.5), cob girth (14.3 cm), cob length (15.5 cm), grain yield (55.1 q/ha), straw yield (107.0 q/ha), harvest index (0.37), gross returns (Rs 45,105/ha), net returns (Rs. 33,930/ha) and B : C (3.0) and Control (FYM 7.5 t/ha+RDF : 100 : 50 : 25 kg NPK/ha) recorded grain weight (103.3 g/cob), number of seeds/cob (418.3), number of rows/cob (13.9), cob girth (14.0 cm), cob length (14.7 cm), grain yield (56.2 q/ha), straw yield (108.9 q/ha), harvest index (0.38), gross returns (Rs. 44,766/ha), net returns (Rs. 32,566/ha) and B : C (2.7) as compared to the remaining treatments.