El-Akram, M.F.I; Abdou, S.M.M; Ashry, M.R.K and Farrag, F.R.M( 2010). Water use and grain yield of maize in relation to irrigation scheduling and sowing datesFayoum J. Agric. Res. & Dev., Vol.24, No.2, July, 2010
Abstract: Field experiments were carried out at Fayoum Agric. Res. Station (Tameia) during 2008 and 2009 seasons to study the combination effects of three sowing dates, i.e. D1:1st June, D2:10th June and D3: 20th June and three irrigation scheduling treatments according to cumulative pan evaporation (C.P.E), i.e. (I1):0.8, (I2):1.0 and (I3): 1.2 on yields, yield components, and some water relations of maize hybrid (TWC 310). A split- plot design with four replications was used. The main results obtained were as follows:
1. Grain yield/fed, yield components were significantly affected by sowing dates and irrigation scheduling treatments in both seasons. Sowing on 1st June and irrigation at 1.2 C.P.E (I3) gave the highest averages of stem diameter, ear length, ear diameter, grain weight/plant and 100-grain weight in both seasons. Nevertheless, third sowing date (D3) and irrigation at 0.8 C.P.E (I1) gave the lowest yield component averages in both seasons.
2. The highest grain yield, i.e. 2476 kg grains/fed was detected from (D1I2) in the first season, and 2857 kg grains/fed from (D1I3) in the second season. On the contrary, third sowing date (D3) and irrigation at0.8 C.P.E (I1) gave the lowest grain yield/fed, i.e. 1955 and 1414.10 kg grains/fed in 2008 and 2009 seasons, respectively.
3. Seasonal consumptive use (ETC) averaged 61.69 and 61.35 cm in 2008 and 2009 seasons, respectively. The highest ETC values, i.e. 69.35 and 68.91 cm were recorded from (D1I3) in 2008 and 2009 seasons, respectively, whereas, the lowest values, i.e. 54.1 and 53.15 cm in the two successive seasons were resulted from (D3I1).
4. The daily ETC rates were low during June, and tended to increase during July to reach its peak during August and then declined during September and October in both seasons. the crop coefficient (KC) values, for high grain yield were 0.44, 0.70, 1.06, 0.67 and 0.63 for June, July, August, September and October, respectively(as an average in two seasons)
5. The highest water use efficiency, i.e. 0.896 and 0.987 kg grain/m3 water consumed were obtained from (D1I2) and (D1I3) treatments in 2008 and 2009 seasons, respectively.
Keywords: (Maize yield, Yield component, Sowing dates, Irrigation scheduling, Water relations)
