Seed Yield and Some Agronomic Traits of Maize (Zea mays L.) as Affected by Different Planting Patterns

To study the effects of planting patterns on yield and yield components of two maize cultivars, an experiment was conducted in 2011-2012 cropping season at Dehloran Agricultural Station, Ilam, Iran, as a split plot based on a randomized complete block design with three replications. The treatments were two maize cultivars (S.C. 704 and 677) asseigned to main plots and five planting patterns (planting on alternate ridges, planting at furrow bottorn at row 55 cm apart, two planting rows per ridge and conventional planting on ridges 75 cm apart) as sub plot. The results showed that there were significant differences between cultivars for plant height, ear hight, seed row per ear, number of seeds per ear and harvest index. Highest plant height (208.3 cm), ear hight (96.1 cm), seed rows per ear (14.26 rows), seeds per row (37.3 grains) and harvest index (51.1%) belonged to S.C. 704 cultivar. Planting pattern affected plant height, ear height, seed rows per ear, seeds per ear and harvest index, significantly. The highest ear hight (93.8 cm), seed rows per ear (13.9 rows) belonged to two row plantings per ridge. Interaction effect of cultivars × planting patterns were significant on grain yield, 1000 grain weight and biological yield. The highest grain yield (10116 kg.ha-1), 1000 grain weight (234 g) and biological yield (19600 kg.ha-1) belonged to S.C. 704 cultivar at planting pattern of two rows 20 cm apart per ridge and the lowest grain yield (9201 kg.ha-1) and biological yield (19289 kg.ha-1) at planting patterne of two rows per ridge to S.C. 677 and conventional pattern at planting.