Effects of Water and Nitrogen Stress at Different Growth Stages on Biomass Accumulation of Maize KSC704

Abstract

In order to study the effect of water and nitrogen stress on biomass in Maize variety KSC704, an experiment was conducted at Agricultural and Natural Resources Research Center of Neyshabour city in year 2013. The experimental design was randomized complete block with three replications. The main treatments consisted of two levels of water stress 80 and 60 percent of water requirement in each of the three stages of growth vegetative, reproductive and grain filling and secondary treatments of two levels of 100 and 50 percent nitrogen. Most of biomass was produced in the control (no stress) equal to 22.8 ton/ha. Water and nitrogen stress applied at different stages of growth, has decreased final biomass. Water and nitrogen stress at vegetative growth stage had highest effect on biomass and lowest biomass was measured in IR60N50 equal to 13.2 ton/ha. Statistical analysis of results also showed that effects of water and nitrogen stress and interaction effects of irrigation and nitrogen had significant effect on biomass and water use efficiency at 1 percent level. The highest water use efficiency were obtained in control (I100N100) treatment with 1.77 kilograms per cubic meter. According to the results, it is recommended to maximize water use efficiency, water and nitrogen use completely done.

Keywords

• water stress
• maize
• biomass
• nitrogen