DRY MATTER PARTITIONING AND GROWTH PERFORMANCE OF MAIZE AS AFFECTED BY SPACING AND NITROGEN LEVEL

Abstract

The experiment was carried out to evaluate the dry matter partitioning and growth performance of maize as affected by spacing and nitrogen level at the Research Field and Laboratory of Crop Physiology and Ecology Department, Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University, Dinajpur, during the period of December, 2010 to July, 2011. Three plant spacing, viz., S1 (75cm x 25cm), S2 (75cm x 20cm) and $3 (50cm x 25cm) and three levels of nitrogen viz., NO (no nitrogen), N1 (90 kgha”') and N2 (180 kgha’') were used. The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. Result revealed that S1 (75cm x 25cm) required the maximum days to attain most of the phenological stages of maize. The duration of tasseling, cob intiation, silking, pollen shading and maturity required the highest days on S1 condition. Present study also revealed that differences in plant spacing significantly influenced TDM, LAI, LAD, CGR, RGR and NAR. Nitrogen levels also influenced the above growth parameters significantly. The results also revealed that higher plant spacing with N2 gave the highest values of all the growth parameters. SPAD value was significantly influenced due to variation in spacing. Leaf dry weight, stem dry weight and ear dry weight were significantly influenced by different spacing. Dense crops (S3) gave the highest value of the above parameters. Nitrogen levels also significantly influenced the above parameters. Leaf dry weight, stem dry weight and cob dry weight were increased with increasing nitrogen levels. Significantly higher plant height was recorded in plant grown in widest spacing (S1). The highest yield (5.80 tha') and harvest index (34.17%) was found in $3 condition and the lowest yield (4.59 tha’') and harvest index (30.46%) was obtained in S1 condition while cob length, cob diameter, number of cob plant’, number of grain rows cob”, number of grains row’, number of grains cob’ and 100-grain weight showed a reverse result with S1 condition. Nitrogen levels also significantly influenced yield and yield attributes. The highest yield (6.42 tha’) was obtained from the plant growing with N2 treatment while the lowest yield (4.44 tha’') was found from NO. The interaction between spacing and different nitrogen levels showed a significant variation among the growth, yield and yield attributes of maize. It is indicated that S3 with N2 showed the best performance in respect of growth, dry matter partitioning, and yield and harvest index of maize.