Grain Yield Of Maize Research Articles

Immobilization of cadmium in soil and improved iron concentration and grain yields of maize (Zea mays L.) by chelated iron amendments.

With the development of industrial and agricultural production, the cadmium (Cd) pollution in farmland soil is increasing which threatens the quality and safety of agricultural products in China. The purpose of this research is to explore the potential of chelated iron amendments for reducing the bioavailability of Cd to maize plants. The experiment of maize cultivation was carried out in pots. Maize was cultivated in brown soil collected from a northeast region in China and then artificially contaminated with Cd with an average concentration of 10 mg/kg. The potential of ethylenediamine tetra acetic acid ferric-sodium (EDTANa2Fe) and ethylenediamine-N, N'-bis(2-hydroxyphenylacetic acid) ferric-sodium (EDDHAFe) as amendments for Cd immobilization in soils were tested. Effects of different concentrations (0.013, 0.026, 0.053, and 0.08 g/kg) of EDTANa2Fe and EDDHAFe (calculated by iron) on the growth of maize and the Cd and Fe uptake in maize were evaluated. Principle component analysis (PCA) was performed to further analyze the overall effects of iron amendments on Cd accumulation in plants. The results showed that EDTANa2Fe and EDDHAFe at dose of 53 mg/kg reduced available Cd in soil to the value of 5.19 and 4.59 mg/kg, respectively. EDTANa2Fe of 80 mg/kg and EDDHAFe of 26, 53, and 80 mg/kg increased Fe concentration in grains by 34.86%, 36.88%, 41.46%, and 44.05%, respectively, while reduced the Cd content in grains by 39.82%, 42.67%, 48.41%, and 35.08%, respectively. Fe concentration in grains showed a significant negative correlation with the concentration of Cd (P < 0.05). EDTANa2Fe of 53 mg/kg treatment increased the maize yield by 30.45% which was higher than in all other treatments. EDDHAFe treatments of 26 and 53 mg/kg increased the total root length by 39.72% and 48.68%, respectively, and increased the total root surface area by 19.95% and 22.98%, respectively. In general, the application of EDTANa2Fe and EDDHAFe at dose of 53 mg/kg can effectively immobilize Cd in soil and reduce Cd accumulation in maize and improve Fe uptake in grains.

Population Dynamics of Pratylenchus brachyurus in Maize Treated with Inorganic Fertilizer

Field studies were conducted in the early and late season of 2010 in the tropical rainforest zone of Nigeria to investigate the effects of NPK fertilizer as an inorganic soil amendment at 75 kg/ha and 150 kg/ha in four replications on population densities of Pratylenchus brachyurus and on crop yield of maize. Seeds of maize variety, DMR LSR-Y were collected from Institute of Agricultural Research and Training, Ibadan. The experimental field was naturally infested with Pratylenchus spp. due to subsequent continuous cultivation of susceptible crop on the field. Seeds were planted and NPK was applied around the roots of maize plants 3 weeks after seedling emergence. Soil samples were taken on treatment plots at planting and harvest to determine the percentage change in nematode population. At the end of experiment, NPK application resulted in the increase in the nematode population. However, the grain yield of maize was not reduced by the increased nematode densities. The results of this study suggests that the usage of NPK caused a surge in the nematode reproduction on the field due to the availability of more feeding sites on the actively growing root system of the crop.

Assessment of the effects of liquid and granular fertilizers on maize yield in Rwanda

Maize (Zea maysL.) is the most widely grown cereal in the world, accounting for 1,116.34 MT of production in 2019/2020.In Africa, this crop represented approximately 56% of the total cultivated area from 1990 to 2005. About 50% of the African population depends on maize as a staple food and source of carbohydrates, protein, iron, vitamin B, and minerals. Lately, maize has become a cash crop which contributes to the improvement of farmers' livelihoods. For example, the Strategic Plan for Agricultural Transformation (SPAT) III outlined that fertilizer availability in Rwandashouldincrease to55,000MT per year, whilefertilizeruseshouldincreasefrom30 kg/ha in 2013 to 45kg/ha for the 2017/18croppingseason. Only inorganic fertilizers are currently being used in maize production in Rwanda. This research was conducted to assess the effects of liquid(CBX: Complete Biological Extract) and granular fertilizers on maize crop yields in Rwanda. The study was conducted in the fields oftheRwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board(Rubona Station)during the 2018/2019cropping season. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to determine whether differences between treatments were statistically significant, with the threshold for statistical significance set at p &lt;0.05. Above ground biomass differed significantly between treatments,with maximum and minimum values of 11,475 kg and 7,850 kg, respectively, being observed. Furthermore, the harvest index differed significantly between treatments,with minimum and maximum values of 0.2136 and 0.33, respectively, being observed. Grain yield also differed significantly between treatments, with the highest value (3,053 kg/ha) observed for a treatment which applied liquid and granular fertilizer at equal proportions (treatment 8), and the lowest one was found in treatment 3 with 1,852 kg/ha. In this study, the gap between the lowest and highest grain yields was about 39.3%. In conclusion, the combination of organic liquid fertilizer and granular fertilizer can significantly increase the grain yield of maize in Rwanda.

Molecular Genetic Diversity and Line × Tester Analysis for Resistance to Late Wilt Disease and Grain Yield in Maize

Late wilt disease (LWD) caused by the fungus Magnaporthiopsis maydis poses a major threat to maize production. Developing high-yielding and resistant hybrids is vital to cope with this destructive disease. The present study aimed at assessing general (GCA) and specific (SCA) combining abilities for agronomic traits and resistance to LWD, identifying high-yielding hybrids with high resistance to LWD, determining the parental genetic distance (GD) using SSR markers and investigating its relationship with hybrid performance and SCA effects. Ten diverse yellow maize inbred lines assembled from different origins and three high-yielding testers were crossed using line × tester mating design. The obtained 30 test-crosses plus the check hybrid TWC-368 were evaluated in two field trials. Earliness and agronomic traits were evaluated in two different locations. While resistance to LWD was tested under two nitrogen levels (low and high levels) in a disease nursery that was artificially infected by the pathogen Magnaporthiopsis maydis. Highly significant differences were detected among the evaluated lines, testers, and their corresponding hybrids for most measured traits. The non-additive gene action had more important role than the additive one in controlling the inheritance of earliness, grain yield, and resistance to LWD. The inbred lines L4 and L5 were identified as an excellent source of favorable alleles for high yielding and resistance to LWD. Four hybrids L5 × T1, L9 × T1, L4 × T2, and L5 × T2, exhibited earliness, high grain yield, and high resistance to LWD. Parental GD ranged from 0.60 to 0.97, with an average of 0.81. The dendrogram grouped the parental genotypes into three main clusters, which could help in reducing number of generated crosses that will be evaluated in field trials. SCA displayed significant association with the hybrid performance for grain yield and resistance to LWD, which suggests SCA is a good predictor for grain yield and resistance to LWD.

English

The study was conducted at Livingstonia Plateau in Rumphi District, Northern Malawi to estimate maize yield gaps through the analysis of soil nutrients during the 2018/2019 growing season. Soil analysis was done for one hundred and fifty soil samples collected from the depth of 0 to 100 at an interval of 20 cm from the top, middle and bottom landscapes of the plateau. Soil nutrients analysis was done at the Ministry of Agriculture Lunyangwa Research Station following appropriate methods. Variables were weeding (no weeding and weeding twice) and application of N fertiliser (0 or 22.5 kg N ha-1). Measurements for grain yield of maize were done in a uniform plot of 10 x 10 m from participating fields in each landscape position. Results showed that soil nutrients varied across the slopes, with the bottom slopes having higher values of the nitrogen (0.1 %) than those on the top (0.05 %). These variations showed varying maize grain yield responses of 0.8&nbsp; and 0.5 t ha-1 for no fertiliser but weeded and not weeded fields and 1.6 and 1 t ha-1 for fertilised but weeded and not weeded fields, respectively. Maize grain yield gaps were higher (4.4 t ha-1) in landscape position 1 than they were in landscape position 3 (4.0 t ha-1) for the no fertiliser and weeded fields; whereas 3.6 and 3.1 t ha-1 for the fertilised and weeded fields. Working closely with farmers on specific soil and fertiliser management practices for improved crop production is critical. Key words: Lab quest, landscape, maize yield gap, nutrients, soil samples, slope.&nbsp

Growth and yield performances of three maize varieites as influenced by poultry manure and planting patterns

The need for available space for individual plants grown in a community and good soil fertility management ensure high yield and quality of crop produce. A field experiment was carried out in the early planting season between May-September, 2015 at the Institute of Agricultural Research and Training Stations (Ibadan and Ilora) Nigeria, to determine the effects of poultry manure and planting patterns on growth, yield components and dry matter accumulation of three maize varieties. Treatments included (i) 90 x 40 cm+ 0t/ha, (ii) 90 x 40 cm+ 5 t/ha,(iii) 90 x 40 cm+10 t/ha (iv) 75 x 50 cm + 0 t/ha (v) 75 x 50 cm + 5 t/ha (vi) 75 x 50 cm + 10 t/ha planting patterns- poultry manure combinations and three maize varieties (ART98-SW8, ART98-SW-1 and SUWAN-1-SR-Y) using randomized complete block design with three replications per treatment. From the result, the combination of 90 x 40 cm planting pattern with10 t/ha of poultry manure significantly increased growth, yield components and dry matter accumulation than other treatments, exceptfor plant height where the 70 x 50 planting pattern with 10 t/ha poultry had the tallest plants. The growth and grain yield of ART98-SW-performed better than the other maize varieties. Planting maize at 90 x 40cm spacing together with the application of 10 t/ha poultry manure enhanced grain yield of maize.&#x0D; Keywords; Dry matter accumulation, Maize grain yield, spacing, poultry manure, maize varieties

Mechanisms Underlying Nutrient Interaction of Compost and Mineral Fertilizer Application in Maize (Zea mays L.) Cropping System in Ghana

Mechanisms underlying interactive effects of nutrient inputs on crop yields are poorly understood especially throughout sub-Saharan Africa. This research thus sought to evaluate the possible mechanisms causing the interaction effects from compost and mineral fertilizer and quantify the relative contribution(s) of the mechanisms to added benefits in grain yield. The research involved a 3-year field experiment followed by a greenhouse incubation study. Both field and incubation experiments were 5 × 5 factorial arranged in Randomized Complete Block Design and Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with three replications, respectively. The factors considered were five levels of mineral fertilizer (0, 25, 50, 75, and 100% of 90:60:70 kg ha−1 N:P2O5:K2O) and compost (0, 25, 50, 75, and 100% of 5 Mg ha−1 compost). The mechanisms evaluated were nutrient synchrony, priming, general soil fertility improvement (GFI), and balanced ratio of nutrients. The conjoint application of compost and mineral fertilizer significantly (p ≤ 0.05) influenced grain yields of maize, with 50%RRMF + 100%RRCo producing the highest average grain yields in 2015 and 2017 with relative average grain yield increases of 167 and 98% over the control (no application), respectively. The conjoint application of nutrients resulted in synergistic and antagonistic interactions. Synergistic interactions were observed in the first 2 years of the study, followed by antagonistic interactions in the third year. Three principal components cumulatively explained 86% of the variation among the mechanisms. The mechanisms which contributed most to the added benefits were priming effect, balanced nutrient ratio, and nutrient synchrony.

Effect of spatial arrangement of push-pull companion plants on fall armyworm control and agronomic performance of two maize varieties in Ghana

Maize (Zea mays L.) production is constrained in Ghana by declining soil fertility, erratic rainfall and the recent fall armyworm invasion. We hypothesised that adopting push-pull farming practices would reduce infestation and damage of maize by fall armyworm, while increasing maize yield. We conducted field experiments at two sites over two cropping seasons to evaluate the effects of spatial arrangements of push-pull companion crops on fall armyworm infestations and grain yield of maize. The experiment was arranged in a split-plot design with variety (Abotem and Opeaburo) as the main plot and fall armyworm treatment options (1 row maize and 1 row Desmodium [conventional push-pull]; three maize rows before one row of Desmodium [modified push-pull]; synthetic chemical and no treatment [control]) as a subplot. Results showed that, regardless of location or maize variety, both conventional and spatially modified push-pull companion cropping significantly reduced fall armyworm infestations under all seasons, as compared with the control. The push-pull companion cropping systems reduced the mean maize damage score of fall armyworm by 168%, compared with the control. Additionally, both conventional and spatially modified push-pull companion cropping significantly increased maize grain and biomass yield by 46.80% and 51.11%, respectively, irrespective of the maize variety compared with the control. The mean damage score, biomass and grain yield of conventional push-pull and modified push-pull were not significantly different. The fall armyworm infestation was decreased by 14.61% in the major season compared with the minor cropping season. This study provides novel evidence of the effectiveness of push-pull farming practice in reducing fall armyworm infestation and damage, and in increasing maize yield in Ghana, which has a different ecosystem to East Africa, where push-pull was developed. Further, it provides critical evidence of the effectiveness of a spatial modification of the push crop in relation with the main crop against the fall armyworm.

Effect of potassium chemical and biological fertilizers on biochemical traits of corn hybrids under drought stress and determination of traits affecting grain yield

این آزمایش به‌منظور بررسی تأثیر کودهای شیمیایی و زیستی پتاسیم بر ویژگی‌های بیوشیمیایی هیبریدهای ذرت (Zea mays L.) تحت تنش خشکی و همچنین تعیین صفات موثر بر عملکرد دانه انجام شد. بدین منظور آزمایشی به صورت کرت‌های دو بار خرد شده با سه تکرار در قالب طرح بلوک‌های کاملا تصادفی در مرداد ماه سال 1394 در شهرستان دهلران (عرض جغرافیایی'41○32 شمالی و طول جغرافیایی '16○46 شرقی) استان ایلام انجام شد. فاکتورها شامل سه تنش آبی (شرایط مطلوب آبیاری، قطع یک دوره آبیاری در مراحل 12 برگی و ظهور گل تاجی ذرت) در کرت‌های اصلی، سه نحوه کاربرد پتاسیم (100 درصد سولفات پتاسیم، کاربرد 70 درصد سولفات پتاسیم و 30 درصد پتابارور-2، کاربرد 50 درصد سولفات پتاسیم و 50 درصد پتابارور-2) در کرت‌های فرعی و سه هیبرید ذرت (AS71، NS640 و CORDONA) در کرت‌های فرعی فرعی بودند. نتایج نشان داد که تأثیر بر همکنش سه‌گانه تیمارها بر عملکرد دانه، پروتئین دانه، میزان پرولین، کلروفیل و فعالیت آنزیم‌ها معنی‌دار بود. کاربرد تلفیقی کودهای زیستی و شیمیایی پتاسیم در هیبریدهای ذرت اثرات منفی تنش خشکی را کاهش داد و منجر به افزایش عملکرد دانه ذرت شد. بیشترین عملکرد دانه با کاربرد 50 درصد سولفات پتاسیم و 50 درصد پتابارور-2 و در هیبرید AS71 تحت شرایط مطلوب آبیاری به‌دست آمد (12130 کیلوگرم در هکتار). عملکرد دانه با محتوای پرولین، کلروفیل a و b همبستگی مثبت و معنی‌داری داشت. نتایج رگرسیون گام‌به‌گام نشان داد کلروفیل a، محتوای پرولین و فعالیت آنزیم‌های کاتالاز و سوپر‌اکسید‌دیسموتاز موثرترین صفات بر عملکرد دانه بودند. به طور کلی کاربرد تلفیقی 50 درصد سولفات پتاسیم و 50 درصد پتابارور-2 و هیبرید AS71 هم در شرایط مطلوب آبیاری و هم در شرایط تنش خشکی در مقایسه با سایر تیمارها برتری داشتند.

Uniconazole and nitrogen fertilization trigger photosynthesis and chlorophyll fluorescence, and delay leaf senescence in maize at a high population density

Reducing the leaf senescence rate could improve the grain yield in maize. In the present study, maize seeds were treated with uniconazole at concentrations of 0 and 25 mg kg-1, and nitrogen was applied at 0, 150, and 225 kg ha-1 to maize crop planted at a density of 105,000 plants ha-1. Applying uniconazole and nitrogen reduced the leaf senescence rate by increasing the leaf area per plant, chlorophyll content, net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, and transpiration rate. Uniconazole and nitrogen increased the electron transport rate, photochemical quenching coefficient, variable fluorescence, maximal quantum yield of PSII photochemistry, and effective quantum yield of PSII photochemistry. Uniconazole and nitrogen reduced the intercellular carbon dioxide concentration, nonphotochemical quenching coefficient, and malondialdehyde content but increased the soluble protein content and antioxidant enzyme activities. Applying uniconazole at a concentration of 25 mg kg-1 and nitrogen at a rate of 150 kg ha-1 obtained the maximum grain yield in maize.

Influence of soil organic carbon, fertiliser management, and weeding regime on weed dynamics and maize productivity on sandy soils in eastern Zimbabwe

Labour bottlenecks and multiple operations at the start of a cropping season often result in inadequate early weed control and subsequent poor crop performance. Therefore, there is a need to establish management practices that provide the best opportunities for the gains associated with weeding and nutrient management across farms. We investigated the influence of soil organic carbon (SOC), fertiliser management, and weeding regimes on weed dynamics and maize productivity on smallholder farms with contrasting SOC in eastern Zimbabwe. On each site, and for two seasons, a 2 × 5 factorial experiment laid in a randomised complete block design was used. Fertiliser management was NPK or NPK + cattle manure (CM); weeding regimes were herbicide + hoe weeding, hoe weeding thrice/twice/once, or weedy check. Principal component analysis was used to evaluate weed density. The grain yield of maize increased by 13% on the sites with higher SOC. Integrating NPK + CM increased weed density and maize grain yield by 1.32 and 1.46-times, respectively, compared with NPK application only. The increased maize yield from fertiliser-managed treatments occurred only in early frequently weeded treatments. However, fertiliser application had little effect when weeding was delayed, as maize yield instead declined by 40–80%. We concluded that higher SOC increased weed density and weed biomass. Smallholder farmers are encouraged to combine herbicide application combined with hoe-weeding options for sustainable maize production.

Effect of uniconazole and nitrogen level on lodging resistance and yield potential of maize under medium and high plant density.

Lodging in maize results in grain yield reduction. This experiment investigated the effects of different application rates of the growth retardant, uniconazole (UCZ), and nitrogen (N) on medium and high maize population densities on lodging resistance and yield. UCZ was applied to maize seeds at concentrations of 0 (U0 ) and 25 (U25 ) mg kg-1 , and three different N application rates, 0 (N0 ), 150 (N150 ) and 225 (N225 ) kg ha-1 , at plant densities of 75,000 (D1 ) and 105,000 plants ha-1 (D2 ). UCZ application, different N rates and plant population density affected the lodging resistance and yield attributes of maize. The diameter, plumpness, cortex penetration and bending strengths of the internodes were enhanced with UCZ and N application at medium and high plant density, where maximum values were obtained with U25 N150 D1 . Internode length increased in the high-density population and higher N rate, whereas UCZ reduced internode length, where maximum internode length was obtained with U0 N225 D2 . Plant height, centre of gravity height, ear and height above ear-bearing node were higher with the high N rate, while UCZ reduced it significantly. UCZ, N rate and plant density enhanced lignin accumulation in the third internode and ear-bearing internode, where maximum values were obtained with U25 N150 D1 . Yield and yield attributes were also improved by UCZ, N rate and population density. Treatment with U25 N150 D2 significantly improved grain yield of maize compared with the other treatments.

Modelling soybean and maize growth and grain yield in strip intercropping systems with different row configurations

Abstract Intercropping of two or more crop species increases the efficiency of resource use and often produces a greater yield per unit land area. The relative efficiency of intercropping depends on row configuration, but there is a shortage of modelling-based evaluation of alternative intercropping options due to the inadequacy of standard process-based crop models to simulate resource capture, growth and yield formation when the canopy is spatially structured in strips. We implemented a light interception model for strip crops into the APSIM Classic model and combined it with a quasi-Bayesian approach to derive the model parameters to simulate crop growth and grain yield in maize-soybean strip intercropping. We used 4 years of field data for 5 different row configurations to derive key model parameters for simulation of light interception, LAI dynamics, biomass growth and grain yield of maize and soybean intercrops. Key model parameters (e.g. RUE, k etc.) were found to change with row-spacing and configuration, posing challenges to simulate different configurations with a single parameter set. The potential ranges of these key parameters were derived by constraining the model to observed data. The model can be potentially used to evaluate impact of planting configurations on productivity of strip intercropping systems, but the variability of key model parameters among configuration treatments calls for further in-depth research to improve modelling physiology of strip intercrops.

Sugarcane bagasse biochar increases soil carbon sequestration and yields of maize and groundnut in charland ecosystem

ABSTRACT Charland is newly developed land in river beds which is poor in fertility. Sugarcane bagasse (SB) biochar was produced and characterized, and its performances were evaluated on carbon sequestration and yields of maize and groundnut in charland. The bagasse after pyrolysis ≈ at 600°C temperature produced 55% biochar. The pH value increased from 6.5 (SB) to 8.8 (biochar), C from 42% to 58%, P from 0.11% to 0.23%, K from 0.83% to 1.32% and the S content from 0.12% to 0.61%; whereas the N content decreased from 2.03% to 1.17%. Seven treatments were implemented in field trials of 2016–17 and 2017–18 in Brahmaputra charland consisting of control, 100% chemical fertilizers (CF), CF+ Cowdung (10 t ha−1), CF+ biochar (5 t ha−1 broadcast), CF + biochar (10 t ha−1 broadcast), CF+ biochar (5 t ha−1 furrow application) and CF+ biochar (10 t ha−1 furrow application). Amendment was done in the year one. Results reveal that the same dose of cowdung or biochar with CF produced higher grain yields of maize and groundnut with 40–60% increase over sole CF treatment. Integrated use of 10 t ha−1 biochar with CF can ensure higher crop yield and sustained soil fertility in charland ecosystem.

Impact of long-term sludge application on yield, nutrient uptake and profitability of maize (Zea mays)

A field experiment was conducted to evaluate the long-term sewage sludge (SS) and fertilizer impact on yield and farm profitability in maize (Zea mays L.) grown at the ICAR-IARI, New Delhi during 2014-17. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with eight different treatment combinations comprising of different levels of sludge and fertilizer as follows: T1= control (no sludge and NPK fertilizer), T2= 100% recommended dose of NPK (NPK), T3= 25% N substituted by sludge +75% N + PK, T4= 50% N substituted by sludge + 50% N + PK, T5= 100% N substituted by sludge + PK, T6= Two times of sludge as applied in T5 + PK, T7= Three times of sludge as applied in T5 + PK and T8= NPK+2.5 t sludge/ha. Results revealed that the combined application of sludge @ 2.5 t/ha along with NPK (T8) showed highest grain yield of maize i.e. 5.93 t/ha. Total P, K and micronutrients uptake by straw and grain of maize were found to be highest in T7 treated plot. The maximum gross return, net return and B:C ratio were recorded under NPK along with 2.5 SS t/ha. Application of sludge not only enhanced the crop productivity of maize by supplying major and micronutrients, but also enriched maize grain with micronutrients like Zn and Fe throughout the treatments. Finally, it can be concluded that the treatment T8 i.e. NPK+2.5 SS t/ha could be an effective option for getting higher profitability and better quality yield of maize.

Effect of Planting g Pattern and Organic Nutrient Sources on Performance of Maize in Maize-Cowpea Intercropping system

A field experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of planting pattern and organic nutrients sources on maize in an intercropping system with cowpea. The treatment consists of four planting pattern (Sole maize, Sole cowpea, 1:1 maize + cowpea and 2:2 paired row maize + cowpea) and four nutrient sources (inorganic, FYM, ambrosia weed biomass and 50% through FYM + 50% through ambrosia weed biomass) allocated to main and sub plots, respectively. Growth parameters of maize did not vary significantly due to planting various planting patterns with cowpea except for dry matter accumulation at harvest. Highest grain, stover and biological yield of maize was also reported from sole maize which was at par with paired row planted maize but significantly higher over the maize intercropped in 1:1 planting pattern with cowpea. All the growth parameters and yield attributes of maize also differed significantly due to application of various sources of plant nutrients except for plant height at 30 DAS, CGR and RGR during 30-60 DAS and cobs per plant and cob length. Maximum grain yield in maize was recorded from inorganic nutrient source which was at par with combined nutrient application through FYM and ambrosia. Protein content ingrain remain at par but nutrient uptake varied markedly and follow the trends of grain and biological yields both due to planting pattern and nutrient sources.

The examinations of grain yield and yield components in new white maize varieties using line × tester analysis method

Line × tester set was obtained by crossing 10 inbred lines with 2 testers in maize. 20 F1`s along with 12 parents (10 S6 lines and 2 testers) and two standard white checks (TWC321 and TWC324) were evaluated randomized complete block Design (RCBD) with three replications during summer season 2016 to detect the best new white crosses for the potential comercial crosses. Data were recorded on cob length, ear diameter row no. per ear, no. of kernels per row, 100-kernel weight and grain yield. The results of mean squares showed highly significant differences in the all examined traits. For mean grain yield of the crosses P5 × SC24, P6 × SC21, P6 × SC24, P7 × SC21, P7 × SC24 and P10 × SC21 had significant in all traits and their combined data was higher in case of TWC321 and TWC324.Hence, it could be concluded that these crosses may be useful for improving grain yield of maize. Crosses P1 × SC21, P1 × SC24, P3 × SC24, P5 × SC24, P6 × SC21, P6 × SC24, P7 × SC21 and P7 × SC24 had highest significant and positively higher percentages over check varieties TWC321 and TWC324 for grain yield and some of yield components. These lines were having promising performance which could be used in future maize breeding programs for hybrid production. Based on the overall performance of the hybrids and parental lines, some of the lines could be used as parents of hybrids of maize with high grain yield potential. Thus, these crosses could be commercially exploited after critical evaluation for its superiority in performance as maize hybrids.

Genetic and molecular control of grain yield in maize.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11032-021-01214-3.

Biochar effects on yield of cereal and legume crops using meta-analysis

Biochar is a carbon-rich organic material used as soil amendment to improve plant growth. However, its diverse effects on crop performance under field conditions have revealed conflicting results among researchers. Based on published peer-reviewed papers, a meta-analysis was conducted to identify the effects of biochar on grain yield (GY), biological yield (BY), and 1000 grain weight (TGW) of four dominant crops (wheat, maize, rice and soybean). Compared to the control, biochar increased GY of maize and wheat by 28 and 13% respectively, whereas other crops were not significantly affected. Our analysis revealed that the most effective application rates of biochar ranged from 1 to 10 t ha−1, which significantly improved GY (65%), BY (38%) and TGW (23%). Biochar applied to a coarsely textured soil with pH ≤ 7.5 increased GY considerably. Biochar feedstocks of animal waste and crop residues origins had significant effects on GY compared to woody residues. Data suggest that biochar produced at ≤550 °C with the pH of ≤8 more effectively enhanced yield and crop growth than biochar that produced at a higher pyrolytic temperature with a higher pH. Findings from this study suggest the combination of type of biochar, soil, crop, and climate should all be considered to maximize fertility and the organic amendment benefits of biochar for crop production.

Influence of Planting and Irrigation Levels as Physical Methods on Maize Root Morphological Traits, Grain Yield and Water Productivity in Semi-Arid Region

Assessing the impact of planting methods and irrigation levels is needed to determine the effects on maize root morphological traits, grain yield, and water productivity in semi-arid regions. A study was initiated on maize (Zea mays L.) from 2015 to 2016, including three planting methods [i.e. broad bed and furrow (BBF), shallow and narrow furrow (SNF) and deep and wider furrow (DWF)] and four irrigation levels [i.e. irrigation once in ten days (I10D), irrigation at 40% depletion of available soil moisture (DASM, I40), irrigation at 50% DASM (I50) and irrigation at 60% DASM (I60)] arranged in a split-plot design with three replications. Results reveal that the DWF method has increased root length, root volume, root surface area and root dry weight compared to SNF and BBF (p &lt; 0.05). DWF and SNF resulted in higher grain yield than BBF, although the DWF grain yield was non-significant with SNF but resulted in 22.40% higher irrigation application. Irrigation at I50 had a significant effect on root length, root surface area, and grain yield, regardless of planting methods. Therefore, where irrigation has been a costly and limited farm input, the practice of SNF and deficit irrigation (I50) could be a viable option for greater water saving and higher grain yields of maize.