Effect of pre-planting irrigation, maize planting pattern and nitrogen on grain yield and yield components of maize cv. SC704

A field experiment was conducted to study the effect of nitrogen application rates, pre-planting irrigation and maize planting patterns on weed seed bank population. Experimental factors were nitrogen rates at 4 levels (200,300,400 and 500 kg per hectare) as main plot; and pre-planting irrigation at 2 levels (irrigation before planting plus weeding emerged seedlings and, irrigation after sowing), and maize planting patterns (one-row and two-row planting of maize with same density per square of row length) that were assigned in a factorial arrangement to the sub plots. The result illustrated that all weed spices, showed a positive response to the highest level of nitrogen fertilizer. The lowest weed biomass production was observed with nitrogen application rate of 200 kg ha. The responses of corn yield to N rate were similar to those of weeds as there was a close relationship between weed biomass productions and corn yields. Overall, given the economical costs and environmental consequences of fertilizer, recommended a N application rate of 300 kg ha with pre-planting irrigation and planting patterns (two rows) in term of both acceptable weed control and obtaining a high corn yield (almost 10 ton per hectare).