GROWTH ANALYSIS OF MAIZE IN RESPONSE TO DIFFERENT WATER LEVELS

Abstract

Abstract: The objective of this work was to evaluate, through the growth analysis, the effects of the water deficit on maize. The experiment was conducted in 1993, at the experimental area of the Rural Department of the Faculdade de Ciencias Agrárias e Veterinárias Jaboticabal, São Paulo state, Brazil.. The experimental design used was a complete randomized block design, with three treatments arranged and four replications. The treatments consisted at three irrigation periods (all time; after the emission of the 12th leaf and 20 days after flowering time). For evaluation of the foliar area and of the production of total dry matter (MST), six plants were collected by portion, being these picked at random, in five evaluations. Were also analyzed: crop growth rate, relative growth rate, leaf area ratio, the net assimilation rate. The growth analysis evidenced the water deficiency affects the physiologic indexes of the growth negatively in the maize crop and that the deficiency during the vegetative period (after the emission of the 12nd leaf) it was what more affected the crop in physiologic terms and of production.