EFFECT OF IRRIGATION PERIODS AND SOIL COVERING ON THE GROWTH AND YIELD OF TWO CORN CULTIVARS (ZEA MAYS L.)

A field experiment was carried out during the autumn season 2020 in one of the agricultural fields in the Bida’a Al-Musayyab region, located north of Babil Governorate, at 45.49° longitude and 36.16° width, objective was to investigate the effect of irrigation periods and soil covering with plant residues on the growth and yield of two corn cultivars. A split- split plot design in the arrangement of randomized complete block design (RCBD) with four replicates was used. The main plots included two corn cultivars (Fajr1 and Baghdad3), while the irrigation periods (4, 8 and 12) days were placed in the sub-plots, two soil cover methods used (covering with straw and control) occupied the in sub-sub plots. The results showed that there was a significant difference between the three study factors, in addition, presence of significant differences for some tow way interactions. The irrigation every 4 days achieved the highest average of the plant height 195.12 cm, number of leafs 16.36, leaf area 696.0 cm2, chlorophyll index (SPAD) 62.98, number of ears. plant-1 1.68, number of grains per ear 598.2 grains.ear-1 and grain yield 12.34 ton. ha-1 compared to irrigation every 12 days, which recorded the lowest averages for the same characteristics. The soil coverage treatment superior in all characteristics of this study which recording the highest average for plant height, number of leafs, leaf area, chlorophyll index, number of ears, number of grains per ear and total yield, which amounted 186.06 cm, 15.43 leaf. Plant-1, 658.4 cm2, 57.67 SPAD, 1.66 ear. Plant-1 and 11.32 ton. ha-1 respectively. While the two cultivars Fajr1 and Baghdad3 were differed in their results, the cultivar Fajr1 outperformed in plant height 184.57 cm, leaf area 648.1 cm2, chlorophyll index (SPAD )57.72, number of ear. Plant-1 1.68, number of grains. Ear-1 573.1, and total yield 11.22 ton. ha-1. compared to the Baghdad3 cultivar.