Response of Several Cultivars of Maize (Zea mays L.) to Different Plant Density

摘要

Factorial experiment was conducted during the spring and fall seasons 2015 at the research station of experimental farm of Field Crop Sciences, in the alternative location of college of agriculture, 33°17′30″N 44°3′56″E in Abu-Ghraib, University of Alanbar, the study aimed to investigate response of four maize cultivars (buhooth 106, 5012, 5015, 5018) to four plant density (53.3, 60.6, 70.1, 83.3) thousand plant.ha-1. Randomized complete block design (RCBD) was used with three replicates, the plant density was significantly affected in all vegetative growth characters, the plant density of 83.3 thousand plants .ha-1 gave the highest values in crop growth rate 12.30 and 21.52 gm-2.day-1 , leaf area index 3.44 and 3.89 and seed yield 10.08 and 12.35 ton.ha-1 in both two seasons respectively, while the plant density of 53.3 thousand plants .ha-1 gave the highest values in laves area 0.447 and 0.525 m2.plant-1 , number of seeds rows in the ear 15.82 and 16.75 rows and the weight of 300 seeds 88.0 and 90.73 gm in both seasons respectively. The cultivars differed significantly in most of the studied characters, the cultivar 5018 gave the highest seed yield 9.87 ton. ha-1 in the spring season with an increase in yield from 8.19 ton. ha-1 in lowest plant density to 10.08 ton. ha-1 in highest plant density 83.3 thousand plant. ha-1, while the two cultivars of (buhooth 106 and 5012) gave the highest seeds yield 11.74 and 11.46 ton.ha-1 respectively. Yield area unit (hectare) increased from 10.24 to 12.35 ton.ha-1 in fall season, The effect of the interaction between the two factors of the study was significant in most of the characters in both seasons, the interaction treatment (plant density 83.3 thousand plants.ha-1× cultivar 5018) gave the highest average of seeds yield in the spring season, while in the fall season the interaction treatment (plant density 83.3 thousand plants .ha-1×cultivar of buhooth 106) gave the highest average of crop growth rate and seeds yield. According to the results of this research, we recommend using cultivars buhooth 106 and 5018 with high plant density in spring season, also using 106 cultivars with high plant density in the fall season.