Effect of Water Deficit and Nitrogen Levels on Some Traits Affecting Spring Corn Grain Yield in Khuzestan Climate

Water and nitrogen are among the main factors affecting crops yield. In order to investigate the effect of different levels of irrigation and amounts of nitrogen on some traits affecting yield of spring corn, a research was carried out in the form of split plots and use of a completely randomized block design with three replications in the research farm of the Islamic Azad University, Ahvaz branch.  Treatments included irrigation at three levels (irrigation after 60, 95, 130 mm of evaporation from class A evaporation pan, and the total volume of irrigation water in each treatment was, respectively, 6435, 5620 and 5140 m3/ha) and amounts of nitrogen consumption at three levels (including 80, 150, and 220 kg.N.ha-1), which were placed in the main and sub plots, respectively. The results showed that irrigation treatment had a significant effect on traits such as leaf area index, leaf relative water content, grain yield and its components, and harvest index. Also, application of nitrogen fertilizer significantly affected the characteristics of leaf area index and cob leaf nitrogen, yield and yield components, biological yield and harvest index. The highest seed yield from the irrigation treatment was obtained after 60 mm of evaporation and 220 kg.ha-1 of nitrogen fertilizer with an average of 763.2 g.m-2, which had no statistically significant difference with the treatment of 60 mm of class A evaporation pan and 150 kg/ha of nitrogen fertilizer; threfore, this treatment is suggested for the climatic conditions of Khuzestan