EFFECT OF DEFOLIATION BASED ON LEAF POSITION ON MAIZE YIELD, YIELD COMPONENTS AND PRODUCED SEED GERMINATION

H. Heidari

Abstract: Defoliation can affect maize seed yield. In order to determine the effect of defoliation treatments on maize yield, yield components and produced seed germination traits, a field and a laboratory experiments were conducted in 2012. The field experiment included six defoliation treatments (D1= control, no leaf removal, D2 = defoliating tassel leaf, D3 = defoliating ear leaf, D4 = defoliating leaves at the top of the ear, D5 = defoliating leaves under ear, D6 = defoliating all leaves). Germination traits of seed produced from maternal plant were tested at the laboratory experiment. Results showed that complete defoliation severely reduced seed yield, row number per ear, seed number per ear, cob length, cob weight and ear weight (P < 5%). Defoliation treatments had minor effect on produced seed germination traits.

Keywords: defoliation; leaf position; maternal effect; seed vigor; yield components

Date published: 2017-09-18