A field experiment was carried out in the spring season of 2013, in AL khalidiya district, AL Anbar province in Iraq, in loam salty clay soil texture, lies on longitude 430 and latitude 330, to investigate the effects of covering the brace roots with ridges soil, and its interaction with three levels of the compound fertilizer N, P, K( 20, 20, 20) (320, 160, 0 kg ha-1, respectively) on the growth and productivity of maize plant, cultivar Bohoth 106. Two treatments each with three replications were arranged in R.C.B.D. The first factor included method of planting: planting only in rows, and planting in rows and then ridging (by covering the brace roots in the lower node above the ground with ridge soil after 42 days from sowing); the second factor included three levels of the compound fertilizer N,P,K (320, 160, 0 kg ha-1).
Results of the experiment are summarized as follows: there was a significant superior effect related to the method of planting, levels of compound fertilizers and their interactions in all traits. Treatment related to the effect of brace roots, planting in row and then ridges, with adding 320 kg ha-1, significantly increased the, total root length (original root system plus brace roots), surface area of the leaves, total chlorophyll, mineral elements of N, P and K in the leaves respectively, carbohydrates in the leaves, dry weight of total roots (original root system plus brace roots) and dry weight of shoot (%227.12, %177.02, %220.49, %199.69, %767.96, %127.97, %647.39, %486.81, and %210.01, respectively). Also, it significantly increased the length of cob, total number of grains per cob, weight of 1000 grains, weight of grains per plant and the percentages of protein, oil and starch in the grains %137.63, %146.79%, %142.96, %236.24%, %175.17, % 167.13 and %156.90, respectively, compared to those plants grow in rows that had no compound fertilizer, which recorded the lowest values. |