Abstract
This study was carried out in order to study the response of corn cultivars to row spacing and weed interference at the Research Farm of Agricultural and Natural Resources Faculty, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran in 2011. The experiment was a split block factorial based on a randomized complete block design with three replications. Factors consisted of three corn cultivars ('KSC 704', 'Simon' and 'Maxima') and three plant row spacings (45, 60 and 75 cm) under weeded and un-weeded conditions for all of the growing season. Results indicated that for all three corn cultivars, the highest weed dry mass occurred in the row spacing of 75 cm. Weed interference throughout the growing season reduced corn grain yield by 20 %. This condition also significantly decreased corn yield components except the 100-seed mass. Increasing plant row spacing increased weed density, while decreased corn yield by 16.5 %. Corn cultivars were significantly different in terms of the number of seed per ear and 100-seed mass, as 'KSC 704' and 'Simon' showed the highest values for these yield components, respectively. However, the number of ear per plant and grain yield were not significantly different between the corn cultivars under study.
Highlights
Corn is one of the most important crops which is extensively planted in Iran and Kermanshah province is proposed as a major region to produce this crop
Chauhain and Johnson (2011) reported that rice grown in narrower rows had higher grain yield and lower weed biomass than in wider rows and increasing row spacing caused more crop vulnerability to weed competition for the longest period
Weed density reduced in response to decreasing row spacing as the highest weed density (WD) occurred in the conventional row spacing (75 cm)
Summary
Corn is one of the most important crops which is extensively planted in Iran and Kermanshah province is proposed as a major region to produce this crop. The reduction may range from 30 to 70 % when weeds are not controlled during the growing season (Ford and Mt Pleasant, 1994; Teasdale, 1995; Mohammadi 2010; Mohammadi et al, 2012b).In many regions of Iran such as Kermanshah, farmers highly use chemical and mechanical methods to control weeds in their corn production systems. Chauhain and Johnson (2011) reported that rice grown in narrower rows had higher grain yield and lower weed biomass than in wider rows and increasing row spacing caused more crop vulnerability to weed competition for the longest period. Drews et al (2004) found that the competitive ability of short-stature cultivars could be improved by reducing row spacing
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