Effects of Plant Spacing and Starflow-CMZ Foliar Fertilizer Rates on the Growth, Yield, and Yield Components of Maize (Zea mays L.) Hybrids

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted to evaluate the individual and interactive effects of plant spacing, Starflow-CMZ foliar fertilizer rate, and hybrid selection on the vegetative growth and grain yield of maize (Zea mays L.). Three plant spacings (15, 18, and 21 cm), three Starflow-CMZ rates (0, 1, and 2 mL L-1), and three hybrids (OSSK 515, KORDUNA MR, and ZP 6263) were arranged in a factorial design, and plant height, flag leaf area, chlorophyll content (SPAD), ear length, rows per ear, kernels per ear, 100-kernel weight, harvest index, and total grain yield were recorded.

All three factors were found to significantly affect every trait measured, whereas significant interactions among them were detected only for chlorophyll reading, kernel number per ear, 100-kernel weight, harvest index, and total grain yield. Total grain yield was increased by about 37 percent when spacing was widened from 15 to 21 cm, an improvement that was attributed mainly to a greater number of kernels and heavier kernels. Chlorophyll content was raised by nearly 31 percent as the Starflow-CMZ rate was increased; however, the highest grain yield was obtained at the intermediate rate of 1 mL per liter rather than at the maximum rate tested, a pattern that was linked to a spacing-dependent response, since yield continued to rise with fertilizer rate at narrow spacing but was already maximized without fertilizer at the widest spacing. Among the hybrids, ZP 6263 was found to outyield OSSK 515 by nearly 21 percent, and it was regarded as the most responsive hybrid overall.

It is concluded that maize productivity can be optimized by growing the hybrid ZP 6263 at 21 cm plant spacing, while the intermediate Starflow-CMZ rate is recommended as a general application, particularly under conditions of higher inter-plant competition.