Mahdi Zamaninejad, Saeid Khavari Khorasani, Matin Jami Moeini and Ali Reza Heidarian
In order to investigation of foliar spraying of different concentrations of salicylic acid on corn (KSC400 var.) yield and yield components under drought condition, an experiment was conducted based on Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) as Split Plot with three replications during 2011-2012 growing season at Sabzevar region, Iran. The treatments of drought tension were consisted of stress in 10-12 leaf stage, stress in flowering and grain filling and salicylic acid treatments including 0, 0.5, 1 and 1.5 Mm concentrations. Results of variance analysis showed drought stress reduced kernel yield, row no per ear, kernel no per row, cob diameter and ear length significantly. The highest and lowest kernel yield was recorded for stress in 10-12 leaf stage (7.13 ton/ha) and stress in flowering (4.76 ton/ha). Means comparison revealed that the effect of salicylic acid spraying on the growth of morphological traits and increasing in the corn yield was considerable and significantly inhibited of decreasing in plant height, ear height, leaf area of the main ear, row no/ear, kernel no/ row and ear length. 1 Mm concentration of salicylic acid at 10-12 leaf stage had the greatest impact on the relieving of drought stress. Results of simple correlation showed kernel yield had a positive and significant correlation with ear diameter, kernel no/row and ear height. Considering the stepwise regression results, ear diameter, cob diameter and anthesis-silking interval (ASI) were the most effective traits on kernel yield.
