EFFECT OF SOWING DEPTH AND SOWING WINDOW ON THE GROWTH AND YIELD PERFORMANCE OF MAIZE (Zea mays L.) IN SUDAN SAVANNA OF NIGERIA
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33003/jaat.2025.1101.11Keywords:
Sowing depth,, Sowing window,, Growth and Yield Performance,, MaizeAbstract
Field trials were conducted during the 2023 raining season at the Teaching and Research Farm of the faculty of Agriculture, Bayero University, Kano and Agricultural Education Department Research Farm at Federal College of Education (Tech) Bichi, Kano State. The study was aimed to determine the effect of sowing depth and sowing window on the performance of maize. The experiment consisted of four planting depth (2cm, 4cm,6cm and 8cm) and three sowing windows (Early July, Mid-July and Late July) which were factorially combined and laid out in a Randomised Complete Block Design (RCBD) and replicated three times. The result generated from the experiment was subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA) using Genstat 17th Edition. Treatment means were separated using Student-Newman Keuls Test (SNK). The result of the study showed significant (P˂0.05) effect of sowing depth and sowing window on plant height, LAI, days to 50% silking, biomass weight and grain yield at both locations. Sowing depth showed a non-significant effect on days to 95% emergence at both locations. Sowing window showed a significant effect on days to 95% emergence at both locations, while a non-significant effect on days to 50% emergence was recorded at Bichi only. There was a significant interaction between sowing depth and sowing window on plant height, 50% silking, biomass weight and grain yield. 6cm sowing depth showed the highest grain yield (2477 kgha-1 and 2260 kgha-1) at BUK and Bichi respectively. Early July showed the highest grain yield (2840 kgha-1 and 2599 kgha-1). Sowing at 6cm depth at early July produced the tallest plant, highest biomass weight and highest grain yield per hectare (3218 kgha-1 and 2912 kgha-1) at both BUK and Bichi. The deepest sowing depthf 8cm showed poor performance in the parameters considered. Sowing too deep at 8cm and too shallow at 2cm depth are unfavourable for the growth performance of maize seedlings. Furthermore, sowing at late July or when the temperature is very low is unfavourable for the growth and yield performance of maize seedlings. It is recommended among others, that sowing at 6cm depth at early sowing window (early July) gives the best optimum plant growth and yield.
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