Effect of Drought Stress and Plant Density on Yield as well as some Agronomic Traits of Maize (KSc301)

Peiman Jafari

Isfahan Agricultural Research Center, Isfahan, Iran
e-mail: peimanjafari@yahoo.com
 

Abstract

Effect of drought stress in 3 different stages of growth compare with normal irrigation and plant density in 3 level on yield and some agronomic traits of Hybrid maize (Sc301) were studied at the research farm of Seed and Plant Research Institute (Karaj, Iran) in summer 1998 with the use of a split block design (strip plots) with three replications .Studied treatment were including drought stress in 3 stages: before flowering, during flowering and in seed filling period compare with normal irrigation as check .The basis for drought stress was to stop irrigation until the moisture content of the soil reaches to the tension of -15 Atmosphere  at the above described stages and then starting irrigation 3 days after that .Plant densities in 3 level including 60000, 75000 and 90000 plants per hectare .Studied traits were :Grain yield ,Kernel number per ear, 100 Kernel weight , days to 50% anthesis, anthesis-silking interval and days to physiological maturity. The results showed that drought stress reduced yield of corn. Drought stress at flowering stage reduced grain yield about 42%. Drought stress at grain filling period and before flowering reduced corn yield about 15.8 and 12.5 percent.

Keywords: Drought stress, Plant density, Maize, Grain yield