Abstract
To evaluate the effect of planting method (PM), planting date (PD), and cultivar (CV) on the yield, irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE), and grain quality of maize, a two-year field study was conducted during the 2017 and 2018 growing seasons. The experiment was arranged as split-plot factorial with three PD, including PD1 (July 1st), PD2 (July 11th), and PD3 (July 23rd) as main plots. Three PM including direct seeding (DS), seed hydropriming (HP), and transplanting (TP) were factorially combined with two maize cultivars (SC704 and SC260), as sub-plots. The highest herbage and grain yield (76685 and 7369 kg ha-1, respectively), and the maximum IWUE for herbage and grain production (13.1 and 1.21 kg.m-3, respectively) were found in the TP. The CV SC704 obtained higher grain yield (GY) on PD1 compared with SC260, but as planting was delayed the GY of SC704 affected more negatively in both years. Delay planting enhanced IWUEH, however, IWUEG decreased when planting was delayed. The highest IWUEG was obtained from TP on each PD. The CV SC260 in delay planting resulted in better IWUEG in both years. The highest and lowest contents of crude protein, starch, ash, crude fiber, and fat were obtained from hydro-primed and transplanted maize, respectively. In conclusion, the yield in the transplanting method had superiority over DS and HP. Also, HP was found to be the optimal PM in terms of enhancing qualitative parameters of grain maize in delayed planting. Furthermore, selecting SC260 as a high-yielding hybrid on delayed planting is suggested.
Highlights
Is (Table 2) and the nutritional needs of maize
Herbage yield The results indicated that herbage yield (HY) was influenced by Planting Date (PD), and shortening the growing season could significantly reduce it (Table 5)
The highest HY was recorded on July 1st (PD1) (74407 kg ha-1), and the lowest HY was recorded on July 23rd (PD3) (67261 kg ha-1) (Table 6)
Summary
This study was carried out at the Research Farm of Seed and Plant Improvement Institute, Karaj, Iran (35°47' N, 50o54' E, 1250 m.a.s.l.), during the 2017 and 2018 cropping seasons. The climate of this region is characterized as semi-arid, with a long-term average annual rainfall of 251 mm and annual evaporation of 2184 mm. The statistical model was Yijkl= + Rl + Ai + Eil + Bj + (AB)ij + Ck + (AC)ik + (BC)jk + (ABC)ijk + Eijkl, where μ, Rl, Ai, Eil, Bj, Ck, and Eijkl were the total mean, the effects of the block, planting date, the error of main factor (Ea), planting methods, cultivar, and the error of sub-factors (Eb), respectively. Statistical analysis was performed using SAS software version 9.4, and the means were compared by Duncan's multiple range test (P < 0.05)
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