MAXIMIZING CORN PRODUCTIVITY THROUGH SOME MODERN FARMING SYSTEMS

Abstract

Two field experiments were carried out at the Experimental Farm of Sakha Agricultural Research Station, Agricultural Research CenterEgypt, during the two successive summer seasons of 2011 and 2012. The main objectives of this study were to determine the effect of tillage treatments, plant distribution patterns and sources of nitrogen fertilizer on growth, yield and its components of corn hybrid S.C. 128. Each tillage treatment was performed in separate experiment. Every experiment of tillage treatment was carried out in split plot design with four replications. The main plots were occupied with plant distribution patterns. The sub-plots were assigned to sources of nitrogen fertilizer. The most important results could be summarized as follaws: All studied characters were significantly affected by different studied tillage treatments in the two seasons. Using chisel plow twice gave the highest values of studied characters in both seasons. Using chisel plow once in addition to Stiller plow once was accompanied with the least values of these characters in both seasons. There was significant effect on all studied characters due to plant distribution patterns in the two seasons. Planting maize in ridges 80 cm apart, 22 cm between hills and one plant per hill produced the highest values of all studied characters in both seasons. Planting corn or maize in ridges 70 cm apart, 50 cm between hills and two plants per hill gave the lowest values of these characters in both seasons. Sources of nitrogen fertilizer had a significant effect on all studied characters in the two seasons. Using Urea fertilizer resulted in the highest means of all studied characters followed by using Ammonium Nitrate then Ammonium Sulphate fertilizers in both seasons. It can be concluded that tillage corn soil by using chisel plow twice and planting in ridges 80 cm apart, 22 cm between hills and one plant per hill in addition using Urea as a source of nitrogen fertilizer in order to maximize corn hybrid S.C.128 growth and its productivity under the environmental conditions of Sakha district,Kafr El-Shikh Governorate Egypt.