Evaluation of Deficit Irrigation and Sown Pattern on Yield and Water Use Efficiency of Maize (KSC-704)

     Maize is one of the high yield plants in the condition of Khuzestan Province. Therefore, development of the area under maize cultivating in this Province is necessary. In some part of this province soil salinity limitation and water scarcity is exist, that effect of maize growing. For evaluation of deficit irrigation and sown pattern on yield and water use efficiency of maize (KSC-704), a spilt plot method experiment with completely randomized block design in three replicate was conducted in the Khuzestan Agricultural and Natural Resources Research Center. The main factor in this research was the amount of irrigation water (A₁: applied 100%, A₂: applied 80% and A₃: applied 60% of water requirement) and the minor factors were seed sown patterns (B₁: seed sowing in bed, B₂: seed sowing in the middle of furrow and B₃: seed sowing in the sides of furrow). The results showed that the amount of irrigation water (A) significantly effected on seed yield, biologic yield, harvest index, economical water use efficiency and biological water use efficiency at 1% level of probability. Also, it was significantly affected on 1000 seed weight at 5%level of probability. The maximum seed yield with mean 917.1 g.m^-2 was associated with A₁ treatment and the minimum seed yield with averaged 245.1 g.m^-2 was associated with A₃ treatment. The maximum water use efficiency with mean 1.33 Kg.m^-3 was associated with 100% of water requirements treatment and the minimum one with averaged 0.43 Kg.m^-3 was related to 60% of water requirements treatment. Also, the seed sown pattern (B) was significantly effected on seed yield, biologic yield, economical water use efficiency and biological water use efficiency at 1% level of probability. But the effect of this factor was not significantly on 1000 seed weight and harvest index. The maximum seed yield with mean 594.7 g.m^-2 was associated with B₁ treatment and the minimum seed yield with averaged 522.2 g.m^-2 was related to B₂ treatment. The maximum water use efficiency with mean 0.92 Kg.m^-3 was associated with B₁ treatment and the minimum one with averaged 0.81 Kg.m^-3 was related to B₂ treatment.