Response of Single-Cross 704 Maize to Application of Chemical and Biological Nitrogen Fertilizers and Different Cultivation Patterns under Drought Stress

Present study was carried out to study the effects of drought stress, combined application of chemical and biological nitrogen fertilizer, and planting pattern on maize (SC 704) in 2015 and 2018 in Dehloran city. The experiment was conducted as a split-split plots in a completely randomized block design with three replications. Treatments were three levels of drought stress in the main plots: optimum irrigation, irrigation cut in 12 leaf stage and irrigation cut at the cornflower emergence stage, three levels of nitrogen application in sub plots: application of 100% fertilizer requirements as urea chemical fertilizer, application of 70% urea fertilizer along with 30% Azoto-Barvar-1 biofertilizer, 40% urea fertilizer along with 60% Azoto-Barvar-1 biofertilizer and three planting patterns in sub-sub-plots: single-row, two-row and zigzag cultivation. The results showed that the combined application of biological and chemical nitrogen fertilizers under drought stress had a positive effect on leaf area index, stomatal conductance, chlorophyll, 1000-grain weight, grain yield and grain protein. So that the highest grain yield was obtained with 40% fertilizer required as urea with 60% Azoto-Barvar-1 biofertilizer (10870 kg). The interaction of treatments was significant on stomatal conductance, grain yield, grain yield at 1% probability level. The interaction of nitrogen fertilizer, drought and planting pattern was significant on seed filling rate, grain filling time and growth rate at 1% level. Generally, based on the results, optimum irrigation conditions, 40% fertilizer required as urea with 60% Azoto-Barvar-1 biofertilizer and zigzag cultivating pattern were selected as the best experimental treatment.