Treatment-Trait (Tt) Biplot as an Effective Tool for Supporting Decision Making in Maize Fertilizer Program

Abstract

This work aimed to study the effect of FYM rates (0, 10 & 20 m 3 fed-1) and application in time of N fertilizer on maize grain yield and its attributes using single cross hybrid 130 at two field experiments. The technique of treatment-trait (TT) biplot graph was used to study the interrelationships among maize traits. The Results showed that application of 10 or 20 m 3 FYM and adding the recommended N fertilizer on these doses with first, second or third irrigations gave highest values for the grain yield and most agronomic traits. It is obvious that the highest correlation coefficients were obtained between grain yield and each of number of ears plot-1 (NE),ear length (EL), ear diameter (ED) and 100 kernel weight (KW),under Gemmeiza location, while the traits of days to 50%tassiling and silking, plant height (PH), ear height (EH), number of ears plot-1 (NE) and 100 kernel weight (KW) were the most associated traits with grain yield under Sids location. Using the TT biplot graph, results revealed that the best performance treatments for most studied across the two locations were the application (T11) before as well as application (T10). The results showed that TT biplot graph was an effective statistical tool to study the effects of treatments on yield and its attributes and also to discover the interrelationships among these traits. Accordingly, the maize breeder should give interest in the interrelationships among grain yield and its attributes when planning the breeding program.