Sowing Dates Effect on Growth and Grain Yield of Some Maize Hybrids

A field experiment was carried out at Agricultural Research Station, Faculty of Agriculture, Saba-Basha, Alexandria University, Egypt, during 2017 summer season to study growth and productivity of four maize hybrids (S.C.10, S.C. 168, T.C. 310 and T.C. 352) under four sowing dates (mid April, mid May, mid June and mid July) using split-plot design in three replications. Early sowing (mid April) produced the tallest plants and ears (242.30 cm and 25.49 cm), respectively, and largest ear leaf area (880.38 cm^2). However, maize sowing in mid May led to increase in ear height (168.14 cm) and produced the maximum number of rows/ ear (14.62), weight of grains/ear (200.11 g), 100-kernel weight (33.26 g), shelling percentage (83.68%) and grain yield (3.64 t/ fed.). Conversely, delayed sowing produced the significantly lowest values for all the studied traits. Single crosses, especially, white grains S.C.10 was superior than yellow grains S.C.168 and the three way crosses for all the studied traits. However, white grains T.W.310 showed the highest ear height (168.76 cm). Single cross 10 sown early (mid April) produced the tallest plants and largest ear leaf area, while sowing it in (mid May) produced the maximum grains weight/ ear, 100-kernel weight, shelling percentage and grain yield (4 t/ fed.). Sowing S.C. 168 in mid May gave the tallest ears (28.03 cm).