DRY MATTER PARTITIONING OF MAIZE PLANT AS AFFECTED BY WATER MANAGEMENT AT DIFFERENT GROWTH STAGES | Tropical Agrobiodiversity

The research work was conducted at the Agronomy Field Laboratory, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, in the fiscal year 2017-2018 to study the dry matter partitioning of maize plant affected by water management at different growth stages. The research was conducted in a split plot design with three replications where irrigation stages were allocated in main plots and varieties were allocated in sub plots. There were five irrigation management treatments viz. I0 - (No irrigation), I1 - (Four leaf stage + eight leaf stage + tasselling stage+ grain filling stage), I2 - (Four leaf stage+ eight leaf stage + tasselling stage), I3- (Eight leaf stage + tasselling stage +grain filling stage), I4 -(Four leaf stage + tasselling stage+ grain filling stage), I5 -(Four leaf stage+ eight leaf stage+ grain filling stage) and there were three varieties viz. V1 - (BARI hybrid vutta-9), V2 - (BARI hybrid vutta-13), V3 - (pacific-559) in the experiment. The highest dry matter by root, culm, leaf, tassel and cob as well as by total dry matter and seed yield was obtained with the water management treatment I1(Four leaf stage + eight leaf stage + tasselling stage+ grain filling stage) which is statistically similar to treatment I4(Four leaf stage + tasselling stage+ grain filling stage) and the highest dry matter by root, culm, leaf, tassel and cob as well as total dry matter and seed yieldwas obtained due to the varietal factor V3 (pacific-559). Interaction between I1 irrigation treatment and V3 varietal factor (I1V3) were found to be the best combination for maximum dry matter production which is statistically similar to I4V3 interaction. As I4 treatment and I4V3 interaction are cost effective than I1 treatment and I1V3 interaction, respectively, irrigation should be given at Four leaf stage, tasselling stage, and grain filling stage with variety pacific-559 for maximum dry matter as well as for maximum grain production in maize.