EFFECT OF VARIOUS PRIMING SOURCES ON YIELD AND YIELD COMPONENTS OF MAIZE CULTIVARS

Abstract

The present field study was carried at Malakandher Research Farms KPK Agricultural University, Peshawar, using randomized complete block design. Seeds of four maize varieties (viz., Azam, Sarhad white, Pahari and Sarhad yellow) were primed with 5 different priming sources i.e. Polyethylene glycol (PEG), Potassium nitrate (KNO3), Sodium thiosulphate (Na2S2O3) and Water (H2O) for 17 hours. Various priming sources and maize varieties had a significant (p<0.05) effect on growing degree days, plant height, number of plants at harvest, number of ears plant -1 , number of grains cob -1 , thousand grain weight, biological yield, grain yield and harvest index. Growing degree days were maximum (1865) in unprimed seeds. Maximum grains cob -1 (419) and biological yield (8060 kg ha -1 ) were recorded in KNO3 primed treatments. Among varieties, Sarhad yellow produced maximum (420) grains cob -1 and biological yield Maximum 1000 grain weight (231 g) and grain yield of 3498 kg ha -1 were recorded in Na2S2O3 primed treatments. Among varieties, maximum (239 g) 1000 grain weight and grain yield (3666 kg ha -1 ) were produced by Sarhad yellow.