Global Maize Project in India: Ranchi, Jharkhand - Site Specific Nutrient Management in Maize-Wheat cropping system in Ranchi, Jharkhand

The IPNI Global Maize Initiative is a coordinated research and technology transfer effort to narrow the gap between current and potential maize yields through improved crop and nutrient management while minimizing negative environmental impacts. Participating IPNI scientists collaborate and oversee project activities in their respective regions carried out by a center team consisting of collaborating scientists in research institutions and cooperating farmers, advisors and government representatives. Ranchi, Jharkhand is one of the fourteen project center teams are currently being set up across different countries such as China, India, Southeast Asia, North America, Mexico, Colombia, Brazil, and Argentina. This will form a network of research centers and scientists using common objectives working toward narrowing the yield gap. Anticipated deliverables include nutrient management decision support tools, crop management planning tools, global management and response databases, and guidelines for improving maize yields and nutrient management in each region.



The overall goal of this project is to improve the productivity and profitability of maize-wheat cropping system through optimization of rate and timing of nutrient application. Specific objectives are to (a) quantify and understand the yield potential of maize-wheat cropping system (b) Comparison of different N management strategies for yield, profitability, and environmental impact (b) develop a scientific approach for SSNM in Jharkhand and evaluate the agronomic and economic performance of SSNM, (d) assess short-term and long-term effects of intensive maize production on productivity, environmental impact, profitability, and cropping system sustainability (d) disseminate simplified SSNM recommendations using simple and practical tools and approaches.


OBJECTIVES:
The overall goal of this project is to improve the productivity and profitability of maize-wheat cropping system through optimization of rate and timing of nutrient application. Specific objectives are to (a) quantify and understand the yield potential of maize-wheat cropping system (b) Comparison of different N management strategies for yield, profitability, and environmental impact (b) develop a scientific approach for SSNM in Jharkhand and evaluate the agronomic and economic performance of SSNM, (d) assess short-term and long-term effects of intensive maize production on productivity, environmental impact, profitability, and cropping system sustainability (d) disseminate simplified SSNM recommendations using simple and practical tools and approaches.
Technical Program of Work
The experimental design for maize and wheat incorporates three sub-experiments that runs simultaneously for (1) long-term system evaluation of ecologically intensified system and farmers’ practice in maize-wheat cropping system (Experiment A), (2) studying the effect of N rate and timing and real-time N management on productivity of maize-wheat cropping system (Experiment B) and (3) estimation of indigenous nutrient supplying capacity of soils to evaluate an alternate approach of plant-based SSNM (Experiment C). Experiment A has a split-plot design while experiments B and C are randomized complete block design. This allows us to make changes in individual experimental designs without compromising the statistical integrity of the whole experiment
Treatments and Experimental Design

Maize

Experiment A: Main Plot: Farmers’ Practice (1) and Ecological Intensification (2)

Sub-plot: With nitrogen (1) and without nitrogen (2)

Experiment B: Nitrogen rates (four): 0, 80, 160 and 240 kg/ha

Nitrogen timing (three): 50% basal / 50% V10 (1), 33% basal / 33% V4-V6 / 33% V10 (2) and 33% basal / 33% V4-V6 / 33% V10 (rate dependent upon leaf color chart) (3)

Experiment C: NPK (1), NP (-K) (2), NK (-P) (3), PK (-N) (4), SSNM (5)

Wheat

Experiment A: Main Plot: Farmers’ Practice (1) and Ecological Intensification (2)

Sub-plot: With nitrogen (1) and without nitrogen (2)

Experiment B: Nitrogen rates (four): 0, 50, 100 and 150 kg/ha

Nitrogen timing (three): 50% basal / 50% CRI (1), 33% basal / 33% CRI / 33% PI (2) and 33% basal / 33% CRI / 33% PI (rate dependent upon leaf color chart) (3)

Experiment C: NPK (1), NP (-K) (2), NK (-P) (3), PK (-N) (4), SSNM (5)
Statistical design
Experiment A: Split plot
Experiment B: Randomized complete block design
Experiment C: Randomized complete block design
Replications: Three (3)