STEPWISE ANALYSIS OF MAIZE UNDER DIFFERENT HUMIC ACID TREATMENTS AND NITROGEN RATES
Abstract: Two field trials were conducted in Ismailia Research Station representing the sandy soil, with split plot design in four replicates during two successive summer seasons of 2012 and 2013 to find out the effect of four humic acid (HA) treatments (i.e. soaking, spraying, soaking+ spraying and control) and three nitrogen fertilizer levels (60, 90 and 120 Kg/fed) on maize yield and yield attributes. Simple correlation and stepwise regression analysis were used to find out the relationship between yield and its components and to predict their relative contributions to the grain yield.
Differences among humic acid treatments were significant for all traits except plant height and weight of 1000 kernels, while nitrogen levels exhibited significant effect for all traits. The H3 treatment (Soaking + Spraying) recorded the best values for all traits except the number of ears per plot and the number of rows per ear. Increasing nitrogen levels enhanced the grain yield of maize. In general, it could be noticed that the combination of chemical fertilizer with the application of humic substances improved growth, yield and its attributes (grain yield, ear length, ear diameter, number of kernels per ear and weight of 1000 kernels), especially for the (Soaking + Spraying) treatment, that received 120 kg N per fed.
Grain yield had a positive and significant correlation with all traits except the number of days from planting to 50% tasseling and silking. Meanwhile, stepwise multiple regression linear analysis for maize yield showed that ear length and diameter, no. of days to 50% silking and no. of kernels per row were the most important contributing traits to grain yield (R2=69.9%). Hence, the selection among these traits would be accompanied by high yielding and more effective for the improvement of maize grain yield in the same conditions.
Publication year 2014
Pages 1-9
Organization Name
Author(s) from ARC
External authors (outside ARC)
    هدى خيرى عبد المنعم المقصر معهد بحوث المحاصيل الحقلية - مركز البحوث الزراعية
Publication Type Researsh & Applied Activities
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