EFFICIENCY OF SOME MICROELEMENTS APPLICATION METHODS UNDER IRRIGATION REGIME ON SOME MAIZE GENOTYPES

Abstract

Two field experiments were carried out in 1993 and 1994 seasons. The maize cv. single cross 10 and three way cross 310 were used for this investigation to study the effect of microelenients application methods and irrigation intervals on growth and agronomic characters (plant height, number of leaves/plant, stem diameter, dry weight of leaves/plunl, dry weight of plant, relative growth rate, number of green leaves/plant, percentage of barren plants, number of grains/row, shelling percentage, weight of 100 grains, grain yield, straw yield, harvest index, crop index, total nitrogen percent in grain, protein content in grains, chlorophyll A and B in leaves and zinc, iron, manganese uptake/plant). Irrigation intervals; at 12 days Intervals during the whole growing season, at 17 and 12 days intervals during vegetative and flowering stages, respectively, and at 12 and 17 days intervals during vegetative and flowering growth stages, respectively. Treatments of micronutrients (i.e. Fe, Zn and Mn) application methods were grain coating and foliar spraying. A separate experiment with a split-plot design was devoted for each maize cultivar.