Effect of Deficit Irrigation and Planting Method on Maize Plants under Middle Delta Conditions of Egypt

Abstract

Two field experiments were carried out at El-Gemmeiza Agricultural Research Station Farm, Egypt, during 2017 and 2018 summer seasons to study the effect of soil water deficit and the planting method on maize plant under Middle Delta conditions of Egypt. Irrigation at 65% available soil moisture depletion (AVSMD) did not significantly decrease chlorophyll content, dry matter (DM), leaf area index (LAI), crop growth rate (CGR), relative water content (RWC), osmotic potential (OP), ear length, ear diameter, rows per ear, kernels per row,100-kernel weight and grain yield. 50 % irrigation treatment decreased crop water productivity (CWP) by 9.93 % across the two seasons compared to irrigation at 80 % AVSMD. Irrigation at 80 % of AVSMD increased drought sensitivity (YR/ SD) and the drought susceptibility index (S) and CWP in both seasons. The reduction in WCU due to irrigation at 65 % of AVSMD reached 19.34 to 20.30 % and the improvement in CWP was 15.42 to 14.37 % compared to the irrigation at 50 % (control) in both seasons, respectively. Sowing maize plants on beds140 cm apart on both sides of beds and the distance between the hills was 25 cm (24000 plants per feddan) resulted in the highest chlorophyll content, DM, LAI, CGR, RWC, ear height, ear length, 100-kernel weight and grain yield in the two seasons, This treatment decreased YR/SD and S. Decreasing YR/SD and S. such decreases were accompanied with increasing CWP. It can be recommend that sowing maize plants on beds140 cm apart on both sides of beds, and the distance between hills 25 cm and irrigation at 65 % of AVSMD decreased WCU and improved CWP, in addition this treatment did not significantly decrease yield and its components and attained the lowest YR/S and S values.