The Effect of Planting Dates and Spraying with Boron and Sulfur on Raising the Yield Efficiency of Maize (Zea mays L.)

Abstract

A field experiment was carried out during the spring period of the agricultural season 2022 AD at a research station of the Department of Field Crops, College of Agriculture - University of Tikrit in Salah al-Din Governorate, located at longitude 43.679 degrees east and latitude 34.616 degrees north of the equator in gypsum soil, in order to know the effect of different planting dates. With three datesThe first date (15/3), the second date (5/4), and the third date (25/4). And add boron and sulfur before flowering by spraying on the plant (boron 50 mg L in the form of boric acid, sulfur 25 mg L in the form of liquid sulfate, boron + sulfur). Its effect on the number of ears, the number of ear beans, the number of its rows, the weight of 300 seeds, the biological yield, the total grain yield, the protein percentage and the ash percentage of the yellow corn cultivar (Sara), using the randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications, as each experimental unit included four lines and the length of the line was 3 m and the distance between lineAnd the last 0.75 cm, and between one plant and another 20 cm, and to study the characteristics of growth, yield, its components, and quality characteristics. The first date was superior in all the studied traits except for the following traits: the number of earwigs and the percentage of ash, and there were no significant differences. We conclude from the fertilizer additions the superiority of the addition (sulfur and boron), and it gave the highest averages in the characteristics of the number of ears, the number of ear seeds, the number of rows, the weight of 300 seeds, the biological yield, and the total grain yield, as it reached 1.68 ears, 441.33 ears, 15.00 ear rows, 69.94 g, and 7.94 ton e and 12.69 ton e respectively, outperformingThe addition of boron as a percentage of protein is 11.93% and the percentage of ash is 1.27%. The combination (planting dates + fertilizer additions (first date × sulfur and boron) gave the highest averages in the characteristics of ear number, number of ear pods, number of rows, weight of 300 seeds, total grain yield, and biological yield. for ashes.