Grain Yield and Yield Components of Quality Protein Maize Genotypes as Influenced by Irrigation and Plant Population in the Nigerian Savannah

An experiment was conducted to assess the yield and yield components of QPM genotypes to plant population under irrigated conditions in a semi arid ecology of Northern Nigeria. Field trials were conducted at the Irrigation Research Station, Institute for Agricultural Research, Kadawa (11° 39'N, 08° 20'E) and 500 m above sea level) during dry seasons 2007, 2008 and 2009 to study the effect of (Zea mays L.) genotypes (TZE-W Pop X 1368, EV-DT W99 STR and DMR-ESRW), four plant population (33333, 44444, 55555 and 66666 plants ha-1) and three irrigation scheduling (40, 60 and 80 centibars soil moisture tension) on the growth and yield of quality protein maize. A split plot design was used with combinations of genotypes and irrigation regimes assigned to the main plot and plant population assigned to the sub-plot. The treatments were replicated three times. The study revealed that genotype EV-DT W99 STR had significantly higher weight of ears per plant, cob length, cob diameter, number of rows per cob, 100 grain weight, grain yield, shelling percentage and harvest index than the other two genotypes used in the trial. Irrigating at 40 and 60 centibars significantly increased weight of ears per plant, while delayed irrigation significantly depressed total dry matter production. Based on the results obtained in this study, it can be concluded that the use of genotype EV-DT W99 STR, at 60 centibars irrigation scheduling and population of 55,555 plants ha-1 had resulted in good agro-physiological characters of QPM at Kadawa.