Application of inadequate quantities of fertilizers limits maize yield in Ghana. Experiments were conducted to determine the effect of Mucuna pruriens, Canavalia ensiformis, and soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merrill) on maize (Zea mays L.) grain yield under 4 mineral fertilizer N levels in a rotational system. The legumes were established in April of 1996 and 1997 at Ejura in the forest-savanna tra...

Soil water, salinity and nitrogen content are three major factors affecting crop production in arid and semi-arid areas. This study was performed in two years of 2009 and 2010 in a semi-arid area in order to investigate the effects of irrigation water quantity (as main plot), quality (saline water, as sub-plot), nitrogen fertilizer (as sub-sub plot) and their interactions on growth and yiel...

Crop improvement for yield and drought tolerance is challenging due to the complex genetic nature of these traits and environmental dependencies. This study reports that transgenic over-expression of Zea mays AR GOS1 (ZAR1) enhanced maize organ growth, grain yield, and drought-stress tolerance. The ZAR1 transgene exhibited environmental interactions, with yield increase under Temperate Dry and ...

Objective: For investigation of intercropping of maize and faba bean, an experiment was conducted in Research Station of Agriculture Faculty of Tabriz University during growing season of 2013. Methods: Experimental design was randomized complete block design with three replications and seven treatment. Treatments included one row intercropping (1:1), 4 strip intercropping pattern with ratios of...

To enhance our understanding of the genetic basis of nitrogen use efficiency in maize (Zea mays), we have developed a quantitative genetic approach by associating metabolic functions and agronomic traits to DNA markers. In this study, leaves of vegetative recombinant inbred lines of maize, already assessed for their agronomic performance, were analyzed for physiological traits such as nitrate c...

The experiments of variable rate fertilization (VRF) for maize were carried out by using a VRF system that was designed and manufactured by us. In the studies, prescriptions of VRT were made for maize according to the nutrient levels in soil and the theory of yield goal. The results of this study have shown that VRF increased maize yield by 11% more in 2004 than that of conventional method of f...

Clarification of influencing factors (cultivar planted, cultivation management, climatic conditions) affecting yields of summer maize (Zea mays L.) would provide valuable information for increasing yields further under variable climatic conditions. Here, we report actual maize yields in the Huanghuaihai region over the past 50 years (1957-2007), simulated yields of major varieties in different ...

A field study was conducted on sandy clay loam soil to evaluate the impact of row spacing and N application method on the productivity of maize (Zea mays L.). The experiment was conducted using four row spacings (60 cm spaced single rows, 90 cm spaced double row strips, 90 cm spaced single rows and 135 cm spaced double row strips) and two methods of nitrogen (N) application (broadcast and band ...

A field experiment was conducted to observe the influence of a cover crop (winter wheat, Triticum aestivum L.), and a perennial weed (dandelion, Taraxacum officinale Weber ex Wigg.), on vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhiza (VAM) inoculum potential, soil aggregation, and maize yield after one season. Mycorrhizal colonization of maize roots was higher following the autumn planting of either winter whe...

Achieving grain supply security with limited arable land is a major challenge in the twenty-first century, owing to the changing climate and increasing global population. Maize plays an increasingly vital role in global grain production. As a C4 plant, maize has a high yield potential. Maize is predicted to become the number one cereal in the world by 2020. However, maize production has plateau...