GROWTH PARAMETERS, IRRIGATION REQUIREMENTS AND PRODUCTIVITY OF MAIZE IN RELATION TO SOWING DATES UNDER NORTH-DELTA OF EGYPT CONDITIONS

Abstract

Field experiments were conducted in El-Bosaily farm in the Northern Coastal of Egypt during summer seasons of 2015 and 2016 to study the response of the single Cross 10 maize (Zea mays L.) hybrid to three sowing dates (1st of May, 1st of June and 1st of July) and three levels of irrigation; 60%, 80% and 100% of irrigation requirements (IR) which applied by drip irrigation system. The experimental design was split plot with four replications where the sowing dates and the irrigation levels were located in the main plots and the sub-plots, respectively. Germination percentage, vegetative growth, indices yield and yield components and water use efficiency were compared under the various sowing dates and irrigation level treatments. The main results were as follows: Vegetative growth traits, yield and water use efficiency of maize were decreased as sowing date delayed beyond the 1st of May. Sowing maize seeds at 1st of July gave the lowest vegetative growth traits and productivity compared to the other sowing dates during both seasons. Meanwhile application of 60% (IR) decreased vegetative growth traits as well as grain yield. Nevertheless, the 100% (IR) irrigation treatments gave the highest vegetative traits and grain yield. In contrary, results showed that the 60% (IR) irrigation requirement gave the highest water use efficiency (WUE). Increasing irrigation water above 60% (IR) led to decrease the values of water use efficiency. Meanwhile, the highest water use efficiency was obtained from the first sowing date (1st May) followed by the second sowing date (1st June) while the lowest value was obtained by the third sowing date (1st July).

Keywords

• maize (zea mays l.)
• vegetative growth indices seed yield and its components and water use efficiency (wue)