Grain quality of maize cultivar Giza 168 as affected by levels of irrigation, sowing date, plant density and macronutrients

Abstract EN

Two field experiments were conducted at Agricultural Research Station, Faculty of Agriculture, Alexandria University, Egypt, through summer seasons of 2015 and 2016 to investigate the effect of six main factors (irrigation, potassium, phosphorus and nitrogen fertilization, sewing date and plant density) on some quality parameters i.

e.

(oil, starch, total sugar content and oil yield / ha) of maize cultivar Giza 168.

A five- levels- six- factor Rotatable Central Composite Design (RCCD) was adopted in the present study.

The results indicated that early sowing in May increased starch and oil contents of maize grains, while increasing plant density above 60, 000 plants /ha led to decrease in starch content.

Oil yield was positively increased with increasing plant density due to increase in grain yield.

Nitrogen and potassium fertilization increased oil and starch contents of the grains up to 258 kg N/ha and 136 kg K₂O/ha, respectively.

Total sugars were positively influenced by increasing levels of all studied factors, except phosphorus where it showed a negative relationship as P level was increased above 50 kg P₂O₅ / ha.