PERFORMANCE OF MAIZE HYBRIDS IN DIFFERENT POPULATION DENSITY A Thesis By MD. RAJAB ALI

Abstract

The study was conducted at BRAC maize research farm, Sherpur, Bogra during November 2015 to April 2016 to investigate the influence of population density on yield contributing characteristics of different maize varieties. The experiment was carried out following two factors randomized complete block design with three replications. The experimental treatments were four plant spacing (P1 = 75cm × 20 cm, P2 = 60 cm × 20 cm, P3 = 75 cm × 15cm and P4 = 50 cm × 20 cm) and three maize varieties (V1= 981M, V2 = Biplob, V3 = Pacific-984). Almost all the parameters recorded in the present study were not influenced significantly by the interaction effect of plant population and maize varieties. Among the growth and phenological parameters, plant height at 55 and 125 days after sowing (DAS), cob height, leaves plant-1 and leaf area at 125 DAS, days to tasseling, days to silking, days to anthesis-silking interval and days to maturity were significantly influenced only by the maize varieties. Most of the yield contributing characteristics i.e. cob length, cob diameter, cobs plant-1 , rows cob-1 , grains row-1 , grains cob-1 , thousand grain weight and grain yield plant-1 were reduced with increment of plant population but grain yield (t ha-1 ) was increased with the increment of plant population. Based on grain yield plant-1 and grain yield ha-1 maize variety 981 M performed the best followed by maize variety Biplob and Pacific-984.