Effect of Variety and Intra-Row Spacing on Growth, Dry Matter Accumulation and Grain Yield of Drought Resistant Maize (Zea mays L.) in Bagauda Kano State

Abstract

The trial was conducted at Bagauda the Teaching and Research Farm of Kano University of Science and Technology, Wudil , Kano – Nigeria during the 2010 wet season to determine the influence of plant intra-row spacing on growth, grain yield and dry matter accumulation of local and improved drought resistant maize varieties. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with four replications consisting eight (8) treatments per replicate. The result obtained showed that maize growth and yield was significantly affected by the different varieties used but the intra-row spacing did not show any significant effect (except in the case of stand count at harvest). Improved varieties outperformed the local variety of maize. Within the improved varieties, sammaz 18 performed significantly better in terms of yield, plant height, number of leaves, mean leaf area, fresh and dry leaf weights. This was followed by the local variety H.H.

Key words: Dry matter accumulation, Grain Yield, Intra-row spacing.