Improving yield and water use efficiency of corn under water deficit conditions by using mycorrhiza and foliar application of zinc sulfate

In order to investigate the effect of mycorrhiza and foliar application of zinc sulfate on yield, yield components and water use efficiency of a corn hybrid (cv NS640)under water deficit stress conditions, an experiment was carried out in a randomized complete block design as split plot factorial with three replications at research station of Bu Ali Sina University of Hamedan in 2014. The main plots consisted of four irrigation levels (irrigation after 60, 90, 120 and 150 mm cumulative evaporation from pan A) and subplots were consisted of two factors including zinc sulfate (non and foliar application with 0.5 percent zinc sulfate concentration) and Glomus mosseae mycorrhizae (non and mycorrhizae inoculum) in factorial. The results showed that all traits were affected by water stress. The effect of mycorrhiza and zinc sulfate foliar application on all traits except for number of ears per plant were significant. The simultaneous use of mycorrhiza and foliar zinc sulfate increased the 100 kernel weight by 30.39%. Mycorrhiza increased grain and biological yields in all four levels of water deficit stress but foliar application of zinc sulfate increased only grain yield by irrigation after 60 and 90 mm cumulative evaporation. Also compared with non foliar zinc sulfate application biological yield increased to 11%. The highest water use efficiency (1.8 kg grains per cubic meter of water) obtained from using mycorrhiza and irrigation after 90 mm cumulative evaporation.