Effects of Sowing Date on Physiological Characteristics, Yield and Yield Components for Different Maize (Zea mays L.) Hybrids

Abstract

In order to determine the effects of sowing date on physiological characteristics, yield and yield components of six sweet maize hybrids, an experiment was arranged in split plot based complete randomized block design with three replications. Sowing date in two levels (15 June and 1 July) and sweet maize hybrids in six variants (‘Chase’, ‘Temptation’, ‘Challenger’, ‘Basin’, ‘Obsession’ and ‘Ksc403su’) were the treatments. Results of ANOVA revealed significant difference of sowing date and sweet maize hybrids on the number of days for tassel emergence, number of days to anthesis, plant height, cob height, stem diameter, plant dry weight, cob dry weight, number of grain rows, length flowers, number of leaf above the cob, raffinose content of grain and grain yield. Mean comparisons showed that the highest grain yield was obtained for ‘Basin’ variety and it was obtained from the crop established on the 15^th of June as planting date. In temperate regions, maize potential productivity seems to be more limited by the amount of solar radiation available around silking (determinant of grain set) than during grain filling (determinant of grain weight).