The Relationship between Every-other Furrow Irrigation and Foliar Application of Zinc on Physiological Indices in Two Sweet Corn Genotypes

To assessment growth physiological charachteristics of two hybrids of sweet corn affected different irrigation pattern and zinc fertilization, a research was conducted as split plot factorial experiment based on randomized complete blocks design with three replications. Main factor included different levels of irrigation pattern included conventional furrow irrigation, fixed every other furrow irrigation and alternate every other furrow irrigation, also different levels of foliar application of zinc as lack of foliar application of zinc, use of Drop zinc sulfate (0.002 lit.ha-1), use of Fast zinc sulfate (0.002 lit.ha-1) and two hybrids of sweet and super sweet corn belonged to sub plots. The result of analysis of variance indicated the effect of irrigation pattern, foliar application of zinc, different genotypes and interaction effect of the treatments on all measured traits were significant at 1% probability level. Dual interaction effect showed maximum rate of all physiological indices belonged to I3Zn3 (Alternate every other furrow irrigation, fast zinc spray), I3V2 (Alternate every other furrow irrigation, Challenger genotype), Zn3V2 (Fast zinc spray, Challenger genotype). According result of triple interaction effect maximum rate of physiological indices such as leaf area index (4.227), crop growth rate (3.186 gr.m-2.GDD), relative growth rate (0.189 gr.gr-1.GDD), net assimilation rate (1.73 gr.m-2.GDD), harvest index (53.03), chlorophyll a (0.299 gr.gr-1 FW), chlorophyll b (0.491 gr.gr-1 FW) and carotenoid (0.997 gr.gr-1 FW) belonged to I3Zn3V2 (Alternate every other furrow irrigation, fast zinc spray, Challenger genotype). Finally use alternate every other furrow irrigation to conserve water along with foliar application of zinc (particularly zinc sulfate with fast zinc) led to stable physiological indices in stress conditions and it can be proposed to the farmers in markazi province at central of Iran.