Effect of drought stress and mycorrhizal dose on growth and yield of maize (Zea mays L.)

Abstract

This study aims to determine the effect of drought stress and mycorrhizal dose on the growth and yield of maize (Zea mays L.). The research was done in the BPTP Banten Screen House and the Soil and Climate Laboratory of the Faculty of Agriculture, Sultan Ageng Tirtayasa University starts from November 2020 until February 2021. This study used a factorial randomized block design (RBD) consisting of two factors. First factor was drought stress with four levels, namely k1 (100% FC), k2 (80% FC), k3 (60% FC), and k4 (40% FC) and second was the mycorrhizal dose with 3 levels, called m0 (0 g/pot), m1 (10 g/pot), and m2 (20 g/pot). There were 12 treatment combinations that were repeated 3 times in order to obtain 36 experimental units. The results showed that the drought stress treatment had a significant effect on maize plant height at 7 WAP of 174.22 cm, plant dry weight of 86.67 g, root dry weight of 21.67 g, and seed dry weight of 37 g. Drought stress of 40% FC can reduce the growth and yield of maize. The mycorrhizal dose treatment had no significant effect on the growth and yield of maize. The application of mycorrhizal dose of 20 g/pot tends to increase the growth and yield of maize. There was no interaction between drought stress treatment and mycorrhizal dose on growth and yield of maize.