Abstract
This study was conducted to investigate the effects of different irrigation termination dates on maize grain yield, kernel moisture at harvest and some other agronomic traits. The relationships between irrigation termination dates and investigated traits were visually assessed through biplot analysis. Experiments were conducted for two years (2016 and 2017) with three replications. Irrigations were terminated at eight different dates (S1: R2 blister stage; S2: R3 early milk stage; S3: R3 milk stage; S4: R3 late milk stage; S5: R4 dough stage; S6: R5 early dent stage; S7: R5 dented stage; S8: R5 late dent stage). Despite low kernel harvest moisture levels, early irrigation termination dates had low yield levels (S1:10460 kg ha-1 grain yield; 11.7% moisture). However, despite high yield levels, late irrigation termination dates had high kernel harvest moisture levels (S7:16100 kg ha-1 grain yield; and 18.8% moisture; S8:16240 kg ha-1 grain yield and 19.6% moisture). In terms of grain yield and harvest moisture, S4 (14050 kg ha-1 grain yield and 14.2% harvest moisture), S5 (14170 kg/ha grain yield and 15.0% moisture) and S6 (14880 kg ha-1 grain yield and 16.1% moisture) treatments had similar values and were considered to be as the most appropriate irrigation termination dates.
Kernel weight per ear varied between 150.6 (S1) and 238.7 g (S7); number of kernels per ear varied between 677 (S1) and 741 kernels (S5), ear lengths varied between 16.7 (S1) - 24.1 cm (S4), thousand-kernel weights varied between 271 g (S1) and 381 g (S8), hectoliter weights varied between 74.3 (S1) and 78.1 kg (S4) and number of days to physiological maturity varied between 112.5 (S1) and 124.5 days (S8).