Abstract:
Maize response to deficit water and planting method
s was studied for assessing
phenological development and yield under Punjab con
ditions. Experiment was planned
with eleven (9+2) treatments; nine treatments were
the combinations of three levels of
Cumulative Pan Evaporation (CPE) i.e. Drip Irrigati
on (DI) to replenish 60, 80, and
100% of base (30 mm) CPE and three planting methods
i.e. 1Row/Ridge, 1Row/Bed and
1Row (zigzag)/Bed. The additional two treatments i.
e. flat and ridge sown, were kept as
control. Each increase from DI
60
to DI
100
caused significant earliness in visibility of coll
ar
of the 8
th
leaf, tasselling, and silking and significant dela
y in dough stage and physiological
maturity. Irrigation water applied was linearly rel
ated to the duration of the reproductive
phase and grain yield. Higher Dry Matter (DM) produ
ction and longer reproductive
phase led to significantly higher grain yield under
DI
100
. All phenological stages were
delayed under flat sown as compared to ridge sown c
ontrol. Ridge sown was better than
flat sown control with respect to DM and grain yiel
d. Drip irrigation treatments showed
advancement in tasselling and silking and significa
ntly late physiological maturity with
longer reproductive phase that resulted in signific
antly higher crop DM and grain yield as
compared to the mean of the two control treatments.
Crop phenology was affected by drip
irrigation regimes and increase in drip irrigation
regimes was linearly and positively
related with length of reproductive phase. Thus, gr
ain yield was also increased
significantly. However, crop phenology and yield we
re not affected much by the planting
methods used.
Keywords:
Pan evaporation, Reproductive phase, Ridge planting
, Silking, Tasselling.
