Effect of Plant Spacing on Yield and Yield Attributes of Maize Hybrids

Abstract

The study was conducted at experimental fields of the Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Kapurthala. The experiment was laid out in a 6 strip plots with plot size of 48 m2 including 2 hybrids (PMH 1 and DKC 9125) at 3 plant population densities comprising of 55, 555, 83, 333 and 1, 11, 111 plants/ha with the objective of observing the effect of plant spacing on yield attributes and yield of maize hybrids. The yield attributing factors as number of rows per cob, number of grains per row, cob girth and cob length were determined and finally the yield was recorded for both the hybrids. In case of DKC 9125 the only factor contributing to increase in cob yield and grain yield per unit area was the number of plants grown in the area, so the maximum yield was obtained at 15 cm plant spacing whereas, in case of PMH 1, both yield attributing factors (cob length and plant spacing) ultimately led to increase in grain yield. At 20 cm plant spacing the number of plants were reduced but increase in cob length at wider plant spacing nullified the effect of lesser plants grown per unit area. It was due to the reason that increase in cob length did not occur proportionately to the reduction in plant population. Hence, PMH 1 hybrid gave maximum cob yield and grain yield at 20 cm plant spacing.