Iranian Journal of Field Crop Science

Iranian Journal of Field Crop Science

Improving yield and water use efficiency of corn under water deficit conditions by using mycorrhiza and foliar application of zinc sulfate

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors
Mohammad aboutalebian 1
Nasrin Khodabandehloo 2
1 Assistant Professor of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, Bu Ali Sina University, Hamedan, Iran
2 M. Sc. Student of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, Bu Ali Sina University, Hamedan, Iran
10.22059/ijfcs.2017.125574.653878
Abstract
In order to investigate the effect of mycorrhiza and foliar application of zinc sulfate on yield, yield components and water use efficiency of a corn hybrid (cv NS640)under water deficit stress conditions, an experiment was carried out in a randomized complete block design as split plot factorial with three replications at research station of Bu Ali Sina University of Hamedan in 2014. The main plots consisted of four irrigation levels (irrigation after 60, 90, 120 and 150 mm cumulative evaporation from pan A) and subplots were consisted of two factors including zinc sulfate (non and foliar application with 0.5 percent zinc sulfate concentration) and Glomus mosseae mycorrhizae (non and mycorrhizae inoculum) in factorial. The results showed that all traits were affected by water stress. The effect of mycorrhiza and zinc sulfate foliar application on all traits except for number of ears per plant were significant. The simultaneous use of mycorrhiza and foliar zinc sulfate increased the 100 kernel weight by 30.39%. Mycorrhiza increased grain and biological yields in all four levels of water deficit stress but foliar application of zinc sulfate increased only grain yield by irrigation after 60 and 90 mm cumulative evaporation. Also compared with non foliar zinc sulfate application biological yield increased to 11%. The highest water use efficiency (1.8 kg grains per cubic meter of water) obtained from using mycorrhiza and irrigation after 90 mm cumulative evaporation.
Keywords
Biofertilizer
Biological yield
grain weight
  1. Abaspoor, E., Masoudsinaki, J., Alipoor, Z. & Saeedisar, S. (2011). Effect of cycocel and zinc foliar application on maize under drought stress. Crop ProductioninEnvironmentalStress. 3, 15-29. (in Farsi)
  2. Aboutalebian, M. A. & Shabrandi, R. (2013). Effect of arbuscular mycorrhizae and on-farm seed priming on emergence characteristics, yield and yield components of maize (Zea mays) at different levels of phosphate fertilizer. Agricultural Crop Management, 16, 733-747.
  3. Baniabas shahri, Z., Zamani, GH. & Sayarizahan, M. H. (2011). Effects of water stress and foliar application of zinc sulfate on yield and yield components of Sunflower. Journal of Environmental Stress in Crop Sciences, 4, 165-172. (in Farsi)
  4. Basafa, M. & Taherian, M. (2009). Drought mitigation strategies in maize and sorghum. Khorasan Razavi Agricultural and Natural Resources Research Center Press, 20 pp. (in Farsi)
  5. Boomsma, C. R. & Vyn T. J. (2008). Maize drought tolerance: Potential improvements through arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis. Field Crops Research, 108, 14-31.
  6. Cakir, R. (2004). Effect of water stress at different development stages on vegetative and reproductive growth of corn. Field Crops Research, 89, 1-16.
  7. Cheong, Y. H., Kim, K. N., Pandey, G. K., Gupta, R., Grant, J. J. & Luan, S. (2003). CLB1, a calcium sensor that differentially regulates salt, drought, and cold responses in Arabidopsis. The Plant Cell, 15, 1833-1845.
  8. Classen, M. M. & Shaw, R. H. (1970). Water deficit effects on corn. II. Grain Component. Agronomy Journal, 62, 625-655.
  9. Cox, W. J. & Julliff, G. D. (1988). Growth and yield of sunflower and soybean under soil deficits. Agronomy Journal, 78, 226-230.
  10. Edmeades, G. O. (1999). Selection improves drought tolerance in tropical maize populations grain in biomass, grain yield and harvest index. Crop Science, 39, 1306-1315.
  11. Eidizadeh, Kh., Mahdavi-Damghani, A. M., Ebrahimpoor, F. & Sabahi H. (2011). Effects of integrated application of biological and chemical fertilizer and application method of biofertilizer on yield and yield components of maize. Electronic Journal ofCrop Production, 4(3), 21-35. (in Farsi)
  12. Elwan, L. M. (2001). Effect of soil water regimes and inoculation with mycorrhizae on growth and nutrients content of maize plants. Zagazig Journal of Agricultural Research, 28,163-172.
  13. Fredrick, J. R., Below, F. E. & Hesketh, J. D. (1990). Carbohydrate, nitrogen and dry matter accumulation and partitioning of maize hybrids under drought stress. Annals of Botany, 66, 407-415.
  14. Grant, R. F. (1998). Simulation of maize phenology. Agronomy Journal, 81, 451-457.
  15. Hajibabaei, M. & Azizi, F. (2012). Effect of phenologic and leaf morphologic characteristics of new maize hybrids in drought stress. International Research Journal of Applied and Basic Sciences, 3(9), 1966-1973.
  16. Jahan, M., Kuchaki, A. R. & Nasiri-Mahalati, M. (2007). Growth, photosynthesis and yield of maize in response to inoculation with mycorrhizal fungi and nitrogen fixation by free-living bacteria in the common agricultural and ecological systems. Journalof AgriculturalResearchin Iran, 5(1), 53-67. (in Farsi)
  17. Jamshidi, E., Ghalavand, A., Salehi, A., Zare, M. J. & Jamshidi, A. R. (2010). Effect of arbuscular mycorrhiza on yield, yield components and characteristics of sunflower in drought conditions.  Iranian Journal of Crop Sciences, 11(2), 44-53.
  18. Malakooti, M. J. & Tehrani, M. (1999). The role of micronutrients in increasing yield and improving the quality of agricultural products. Tarbiat Modarres University Press. 299p. (in Farsi)
  19. Masjedi, A., Shokouhfar, A. & Alavifazel, M. (2009). A survey of most suitable irrigation scheduling and effect of drought stress on yield for summer corn (SC.704) with class A evaporation pan in Ahvaz. Journal of Science and Technology of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Water and Soil Science, 12(46), 543-550. (in Farsi)
  20. Mobasser, H. R., Moradgholi, A., Mehraban, A. & Koohkan, S. (2012). Investigation of mycorrhizal effect on agronomic traits and protein percent of corn cultivars in Sistan. International Journal of Agriscience, 2(2), 108-119.
  21. Mohseni, M., Hadadi, M. H. & Valiolahpoor, R. (2012). The effects of boron and zinc compound application on seed formation process of corn in Mazandaran. The New FindingsinAgriculture, 7(2), 177-185. (in Farsi)
  22. Mousavi, Gh., Mirhadi, M. J., Siadat, A., Noormohamadi, Gh. & Darvish, F. (2009). The effect of water deficit stress and nitrogen on yield and water use efficiency of sorghum and millet. JournalofModernAgriculture, 5(15), 101-114.
  23. Nasri, R., Heidari-Moghadam, A., Siadat, A., Paknezhad, F. & Sadeghi-Shoa, M. (2012). Path analysis of traits correlation and supplemental irrigation on yield and yield components of chickpea in Ilam. Journalof Agricultureand Plant Breeding, 8(2), 161-172. (in Farsi)
  24. Ntanos, D. A. & Koutroubas, S. D. (2002). Dry matter and N accumulation and translocation for Indica and Japonica rice under Mediterranean conditions. Field Crops Research, 74, 93-101.
  25. Rafeie, M., Karimi, M., Noormohamadi, Gh. & Nadian, H. (2004). Study of Characters correlation and causality analysis of corn grain yield in drought stress treatments. Agricultural Research, 4(2), 33-48. (in Farsi)
  26. Ruiz-Lozano, J. M., Porcel, R. & Aroca, R. (2006). Does the enhanced tolerance of arbuscular mycorrhizal plants to water deficit involve modulation of drought-induced plant genes?. New Phytologist, 71, 693-698.
  27. Ruiz-sanchez, M., Aroca, R., Munoz, Y., Polon, R. & Ruiz-Lozano, J. M. (2010). The arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis enhances the photosynthetic efficiency and the antioxidative response of rice plants subjected to drought stress. Journal of Plant Physiology, 167, 862-869.
  28. Sajedi, N. A. & Sajedi, A. (2009). Effect of drought stress, mycorrhiza and zinc rates on agro-physiologic characteristics of maize cv. KSC704. Journal of Crop Sciences, 11(3), 202-222. (in Farsi)
  29. Sajedi, N. A. & Madani, H. (2009). The interaction of drought, zinc and mycorrhiza on yield, yield components and harvest index of corn. NewFindingsin Agriculture, 2(3), 272-284.
  30. Sajedi, N. A., Ardekani, M. R., Sajedi, A. & Bahrami, A. (2010). The absorption of some nutrients affected by mycorrhiza, different levels of zinc and drought on corn. Iranian Journal of Field Crops Research, 8(5), 784-791. (in Farsi)
  31. Schussler, J. R. & Westgate, M. E. (1991). Maize kernel set at low water potential: I. sensitivity to reduced assimilates during early kernel growth. Crop Science, 31, 1189-1195.
  32. Shahoseini, Z., Gholami, A. & Asghari, H. R. (2013). Effect of mycorrhizal symbiosis on the effects of water stress, growth and yield of maize (Zea mays L.). IranianJournalof Field Crop Science, 44(2), 249-260. (in Farsi)
  33. Siddique, M. R. B., Hamia, A. & Islam, M. S. (1999). Drought stress effects on photosynthetic rate and leaf Co2 exchange of wheat. Botanical Bulletin of Academia Sinica, 40, 141-145.
  34. Sinclair, T. R. (1990). Relative sensitivity of grain yield and biomass accumulation to drought in field-grown maize. Crop Science, 30, 690-693.
  35. Taiz, L. & Zeiger, E. (1998). Plant Physiology. Sinager Associates, Inc. Publisher. Sunderland Massa Chusetts. 757p.
  36. Toker, G. & Cagirgan, M. I. (2004). The use of phenotypic correlation and factor analysis in determining characters for grain yield selection in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.). Hereditas, 140, 226-228.
  37. Vamerali, T., Saccomani, M., Mosca, S., Guarise N. & Ganis, A. (2003). A comparison of root charactertics in relation to nutrient and water stress in two maize hybrids. Plant and Soil, 25, 157-167.
  38. Zahra, I. T. & Loynachan, T. E. (2003). Endomycorrhizal fungi survival in continuous corn, soybean and fallow. Agronomy Journal, 95(1), 224-230.
  39. Zand, B., Soroushzadeh, A., Ghanati, F. & Moradi, F. (2009). Effect of foliar application of zinc and auxin growth regulators on yield and yield components of maize under water deficit conditions. Seed and Plant Production Journal, 25(4), 431-448. (in Farsi)

  • Receive Date 07 June 2015
  • Revise Date 03 December 2015
  • Accept Date 08 May 2016
  • Publish Date 22 May 2017