SOWING-DATE STUDIES ON MAIZE (ZEA MAYS L.) UNDER RAINFOREST CONDITIONS: EFFECTS OF SOWING DATE ON THE VEGETATIVE AND FLOWERING STAGES.

Abstract

This study was carried out to evaluate the effect of sowing date on the vegetative and flowering components of maize phenology. Three maize cultivars were grown at five sowing dates over a two-year period. Time of 50% tasseling was chosen to mark the end of the vegetative phase. This phase was highly affected by cultivar. However, the flowering stage, time of 25% pollen shedding and the subsequent flowering stages were highly affected by sowing date and cultivar. Date x cultivar interaction was not significant. Test of significance for the mean number of days to the various flowering stages were also observed. The early maturing TZE4 recorded a significantly lower number of days to 50% tasseling and to the other flowering stages than FARZ27 and FARZ34. Some flowering stages appeared to have been nearly coincident in time. These were 50% pollen shedding and 25% silking; and 75% pollen shedding and 50% silking, which occurred within one day of each other.