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Influence of different organic mulches on growth, yield and oil content of maize (Zea mays L.) hybrids and soil physical properties
 
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1
University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan
 
2
Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Sassari, Viale Italia 39/A, 07100 Sassari, Italy
 
These authors had equal contribution to this work
 
 
Corresponding author
Muhammad Sajjad   

University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan
 
 
 
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ABSTRACT
Sustainable agricultural practices are increasingly vital in addressing the challenges posed by climate change and soil degradation, which threaten crop productivity and food security. Organic mulching, the practice of applying natural materials such as straw, compost and leaf litter to the soil surface, has emerged as a promising strategy to improve soil moisture retention, regulate temperature, and enhance crop growth. This study investigates the effects of various organic mulches on the growth, yield, and soil physical properties of maize hybrids. A field experiment was conducted with four different organic mulching treatments: (M1) sawdust (5 Mg ha⁻¹), (M2) sugarcane bagasse (5 Mg ha⁻¹), (M3) wheat straw (10 Mg ha⁻¹), and (M4) grass clippings (10 Mg ha⁻¹). The experiment also included two maize hybrids: (H1) YH-1898 and (H2) DK-6317, with results compared to a non-mulched control. The findings revealed that sugarcane bagasse mulch significantly enhanced yield and yield-related attributes, including plant height, cob length, cob girth, number of grains per cob, number of grain rows per cob, 1000-grain weight, grain yield, and harvest index, as compared to other mulching materials. Additionally, the quality parameters, such as protein, starch, and oil content, were highest in the sugarcane bagasse treatment, followed by sawdust mulch. In terms of soil health, sugarcane bagasse also exhibited the highest values for electrical conductivity (EC), total soil porosity, and organic matter content compared to other treatmens. These results highlight the effectiveness of sugarcane bagasse as an optimal organic mulching material for improving both maize yield and soil quality, underscoring its potential in sustainable maize production systems.
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