Temeche Degu, Getachew Elias, Hailu Getachew
Amhara Regional Agricultural Research Institute, Debre Birhane Agricultural Research Center, P.o.box 112, Debre Birhan, Ethiopia.
Heliyon. 2024 Aug 18;10(17):e36367. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e36367. eCollection 2024 Sep 15.
Nowadays producing maize for green cob is a profitable business in addition to producing maize for grain yield. High plant density has been widely used to enhance grain yield in maize. A field experiment was conducted at four locations for two consecutive years (2021-2022) to determine the optimum plant density and nitrogen level and to assess the advantage of selling the green cob rather than the grain yield. The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design in a factorial arrangement with three replications. Three plant populations (44,444, 66,666, and 88,888 plants ha) with five nitrogen levels (0, 46, 92, 138, and 184 kg ha were combined by factorial combinations and tested in the experimental plots to select the optimum level for high grain and green cob yield. The maximum grain yield (8656 kg ha) was obtained under the highest plant population (88,888 plants ha), and from tested nitrogen rates 46, 92, and 138 kg nitrogen ha gave statically similar higher yield. Based on partial budget analysis, the application of 92 kg ha-1 nitrogen under 88,888 plant population was more economically feasible than other treatment combinations. This result showed 23.42 % yield advantages compared to the positive control. In addition, applying 138 kg N under 88,888 plant densities was the most profitable compared to other combinations to produce green cob. Thus, the blanket recommended plant population, 44,444 plants ha with application of 46 kg N ha is insufficient for maize green cob and grain yield production. Rather use of 88,888 plants ha with the application of 92 kg N ha for grain yield production and the use of 88,888 plants per ha with the application of 138 kg N ha is profitable for the production of maize green cob.
如今，除了种植用于收获籽粒的玉米外，种植用于收获嫩玉米穗的玉米也是一项有利可图的业务。高密度种植已被广泛用于提高玉米的籽粒产量。连续两年（2021 - 2022年）在四个地点进行了田间试验，以确定最佳种植密度和氮水平，并评估出售嫩玉米穗而非籽粒产量的优势。试验采用随机完全区组设计，以析因排列方式进行，重复三次。将三个种植密度（44444、66666和88888株/公顷）与五个氮水平（0、46、92、138和184千克/公顷）进行析因组合，在试验小区中进行测试，以选择实现高籽粒和嫩玉米穗产量的最佳水平。在最高种植密度（88888株/公顷）下获得了最高籽粒产量（8656千克/公顷），在测试的氮用量中，46、92和138千克氮/公顷产生的产量在统计学上相似且较高。基于部分预算分析，在88888株/公顷的种植密度下施用92千克/公顷的氮比其他处理组合在经济上更可行。与阳性对照相比，该结果显示出23.42%的产量优势。此外，在88888株/公顷的种植密度下施用138千克氮与其他组合相比，在生产嫩玉米穗方面最有利可图。因此，普遍推荐的每公顷44444株并施用46千克氮/公顷的种植密度对于玉米嫩玉米穗和籽粒产量生产来说是不够的。相反，每公顷88888株并施用92千克氮/公顷用于籽粒产量生产，每公顷88888株并施用138千克氮/公顷用于玉米嫩玉米穗生产是有利可图的。
