The effect of planting methods on maize growth and yield at different irrigation regimes

ABSTRACT Maize production, which is ranked after wheat and barely in Fars province, Iran, needs a considerable amount of irrigation water that is not available in scarce water conditions in drought situations. Therefore, proper planting method can improve irrigation water management. The objectives of the present study were to investigate the effects of two planting methods, onbed and in furrow bottom, on maize growth and yield, and also on soil water content in root zone at different irrigation regimes in a semiarid condition. The  results can be used for improving or designing appropriate machinery maize cropping inbottom of furrows. Experimental treatments were applied: water at amounts of 60, 80 and 100% of crop evapotranspiraton (ETc), and two planting methods onbed and inbottom of furrow were used. The experiment was conducted and analysed in a splitplot design with three replications. Results revealed that the irrigation regimes and planting methods had significant effects on grain yield and total dry matter of maize. The irrigation regime of 80% of ETc with planting inbottom resulted in highest grain yield (8193 kg ha1) and water use efficiency(1.05 kg m3). Although the highest yield was obtained for inbottom planting, the restricted root growth observed may be due to soil compaction resulting from furrower pressure on the soil. Hence, designing soil tillage tools for reducing the soil compaction beneath the seedbed is recommended for future studies.