Field experiments on maize-wheat systell!. were carried out
at Lumle· Agrucltural Centre for three years (1994/95 to
1996/97) to determine the effect of low and high quality
organic materials on maize and wheat yields and soi 1
properties. In this report, only the data of maize crop
and soil properties during maize g:towirig season are
included. Significantly high maize grain yield of 1.95
t/ha was obtained only in 1995 in the mixture of low and
high quality organic materials. The ·mean grain yield of
three years (1994 to 1996) also showed the -highest grain
yield of 2.47 t/ha in the same mixt u ~e treatments. The
mean stover yields of three years (6.63 to 6.70 t/ha)
did not differ much in low quality as well as in mixture
of low and high quality treatments. Nitrogen uptake by
maize grain and stover reduced over years in all
treatments with. the . lowe~t uptake of 21.1 kg N/ha and
49.5 kg P/ha in· contTol. Mean P uptake by maize grain
in three years was the smallest (9.7 kg/ha) in control
followed by high quality organic materials (9.8 kg/ha)
whereas mean P uptake by maize stover was the highest
(24.0 kg/ha} in low quality treatment.
. '
Soil pH significantly increa$ed from 5.8 to .5.9 after 12
weeks of maize germination in all treatments in 1995 .
Aft~r 4 weeks of maize germination, mean organic carbon
increased from 3.12 to 3.52% in all treatments except
mixture treatment (3 .45%). Organic carbon further
increased from 3. 56 to 3. 62% after 6 weeks, remained low
upto 10 weeks and again increased thereafter in all the
treatments except control. Total N decreased to 0. 26 to
0.28% in all treatments except control {0.24%) after 4
weeks of germination. Total N remained almost similar
(0.25 to 0.29%} in all treatments except low quality for
6 to 8 weeks and after . that increased slowly upto 12
weeks. I:h 1994, largest ni trate-N (85 kg/ha) wru;;
obtained in high quality FYM and 52.0 to 67.7 kg/ha in·
other treatments after 2 weeks of germination and after
that slowly decreased in all treatments. In 1995 and
1996, only traces of nitrate-N was obtained in all .
treatments. But higher. mineral-N (nitrate-N and
8JIJD10nium-N} of 38 kg/ha in .1995 and 28 kgfha in 1!196 was

recorded after 12 weeks of germination in high quality
FYM and mixture treatments. Mean soi 1 pH of three years
remained constant (5.7) in all treatments, higher
organic carbon (3.5%) and exchangeable K (0.36 me/lOOg}
were recorded in low quality treatment, and total Nand
available P remained 0.30 to 0.33 and 330 to 338 ppm
respectively in all treatments. The results showed that
low quality organic materials are more effective as
compared to high quality FYM for maize yield and for
making N available at later stages of maize crop and
maintaining N fertility in maize-wheat system in Lum!e
condition.

Field experiments on maize-wheat systell!. were carried out
at Lumle· Agrucltural Centre for three years (1994/95 to
1996/97) to determine the effect of low and high quality
organic materials on maize and wheat yields and soi 1
properties. In this report, only the data of maize crop
and soil properties during maize g:towirig season are
included. Significantly high maize grain yield of 1.95
t/ha was obtained only in 1995 in the mixture of low and
high quality organic materials. The ·mean grain yield of
three years (1994 to 1996) also showed the -highest grain
yield of 2.47 t/ha in the same mixt u ~e treatments. The
mean stover yields of three years (6.63 to 6.70 t/ha)
did not differ much in low quality as well as in mixture
of low and high quality treatments. Nitrogen uptake by
maize grain and stover reduced over years in all
treatments with. the . lowe~t uptake of 21.1 kg N/ha and
49.5 kg P/ha in· contTol. Mean P uptake by maize grain
in three years was the smallest (9.7 kg/ha) in control
followed by high quality organic materials (9.8 kg/ha)
whereas mean P uptake by maize stover was the highest
(24.0 kg/ha} in low quality treatment.
. '
Soil pH significantly increa$ed from 5.8 to .5.9 after 12
weeks of maize germination in all treatments in 1995 .
Aft~r 4 weeks of maize germination, mean organic carbon
increased from 3.12 to 3.52% in all treatments except
mixture treatment (3 .45%). Organic carbon further
increased from 3. 56 to 3. 62% after 6 weeks, remained low
upto 10 weeks and again increased thereafter in all the
treatments except control. Total N decreased to 0. 26 to
0.28% in all treatments except control {0.24%) after 4
weeks of germination. Total N remained almost similar
(0.25 to 0.29%} in all treatments except low quality for
6 to 8 weeks and after . that increased slowly upto 12
weeks. I:h 1994, largest ni trate-N (85 kg/ha) wru;;
obtained in high quality FYM and 52.0 to 67.7 kg/ha in·
other treatments after 2 weeks of germination and after
that slowly decreased in all treatments. In 1995 and
1996, only traces of nitrate-N was obtained in all .
treatments. But higher. mineral-N (nitrate-N and
8JIJD10nium-N} of 38 kg/ha in .1995 and 28 kgfha in 1!196 was

recorded after 12 weeks of germination in high quality
FYM and mixture treatments. Mean soi 1 pH of three years
remained constant (5.7) in all treatments, higher
organic carbon (3.5%) and exchangeable K (0.36 me/lOOg}
were recorded in low quality treatment, and total Nand
available P remained 0.30 to 0.33 and 330 to 338 ppm
respectively in all treatments. The results showed that
low quality organic materials are more effective as
compared to high quality FYM for maize yield and for
making N available at later stages of maize crop and
maintaining N fertility in maize-wheat system in Lum!e
condition.