<p>Maize is the second staple food and a major cereal crop in Pakistan, but its actual yield is 25-30% less than the potential because of high soil bulk densities. Three exotic maize varieties (Baber, Pioneer-30P45, and Syngenta-6621) were evaluated under the three different soil bulk densities of 1.00 - 1.30, 1.30 - 1.60, and 1.60- 1.90 g.cm<sup>-3</sup>. Nine treatments were replicated three times, making 27 pots experiments under complete randomized design were tested. Results showed that bulk density significantly (α < 0.05) affected all the parameters of the crops except the number of days to emergence. The fewest number of days to emergence (8.4), tasseling (60.9), silking (66.9), maturity (91.9), leaves per plant (6.3), as well as the lowest shoot thickness (0.49 cm) were obtained under the 1.00 - 1.30 g.cm<sup>-3</sup> density. This density also produced the tallest plants (174.7 cm), highest stover (5938.7 kg ha<sup>-1</sup>), grain yields (1551 kg ha<sup>-1</sup>), and harvest index (21.9 %). Conversely, most days to emergence, tasseling, silking, and maturity occurred at the bulk density of 1.60 - 1.90 g.cm<sup>-3</sup>, which also produced the shortest plants and the lowest grain stover and grain yields as well as the harvest index. It was concluded that increasing bulk density levels increase the number of days to tasseling, silking, maturity, and leaves per plant and shoot thickness. Syngenta 6621 was found late in maturity among the hybrids but produced superior stover and grain yields.</p>
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.