| Performance of hybrid maize sub plot factors. Rampur hybrid 6 varieties depends on various management practices. An experiment was conducted to assess the effect of genotypes, tillage methods and plant populations on dry matter, grain yield, stover yield and harvest index of hybrid maize at research field of National Maize Research Program (NMRP), Rampur, Chitwan, Nepal during winter season of 2015/16. The experiment was laid out in strip-split plot design that consisting of two hybrids as horizontal factor (Rampur hybrid 4 and Rampur hybrid 6), two tillage methods as vertical factors (zero and conventional tillage) and four plant populations (55,555, 69,444, 85,470 and 1,01,010 plants ha-1 ) as subproduced more dry matter as compared to Rampur hybrid 4 except at early stage i.e. 30 days after sowing (DAS). Rampur hybrid 6 produced slightly higher grain yield (6.11 t ha-1 ) than Rampur hybrid 4 (5.88 t ha-1 ). Grain yield under zero tillage (6.25 t ha-1 ) was similar to conventional tillage (5.74 t ha-1 ). Significantly higher grain yield (6.54 t ha-1 ) was obtained from the population of 85,470 plants ha-1 than 55,555 (5.31 t ha-1 ) and 69,444 (5.92 t ha1 ) plants ha-1 but remained at par with the population of 1,01,010 plants ha-1 (6.21 t ha-1 ). Stover yield increased with the increase in plant population from 55,555 to 1,01,0101 plants ha-1 and with zero tillage. It was concluded that both hybrid maize varieties (Rampur hybrid 4 and Rampur hybrid 6) should be grown under zero tillage system with optimum plant population of 85,470 plants ha-1 to achieve higher grain yield and net return at Chitwan of Nepal. Keywords: Hybrid maize, genotypes, plant population and zero tillage. |