Response of soaking corn seeds (Zea mays L.) in salicylic acid and foliar spray with yeast extract on growth and yield

• Damia Taher Hafez Assoc. Prof. Dr. Marwan Sami Said

  Author

A field experiment was conducted at the Agricultural Research Station of the Department of Field Crops, College of Agriculture, University of Diyala, during the autumn season of 2025. The study aimed to evaluate the response of c0rn grain yield and its components to seed soaking in salicylic acid and foliar spraying with yeast extract. The experiment was arranged in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) following a factorial experiment arrangement with three replications.

The experiment included two factors. The first factor was seed soaking in salicylic acid at two concentrations (35 and 70 mg L⁻¹), in addition to the control treatment (soaking in distilled water only). The second factor was foliar spraying with yeast extract at three concentrations (7, 14, and 21 g L⁻¹), along with the control treatment (spraying with water only).

The results showed that seed soaking in salicylic acid at 70 mg L⁻¹ significantly outperformed the other treatments in grain yield and its components. It recorded the highest mean values for ear length (23.364 cm), number of rows per ear (18.107 rows ear⁻¹), number of grains per row (41.807 grains row⁻¹), grain yield (6.183 t ha⁻¹), and shelling percentage (85.241%).

The results also indicated that foliar spraying with yeast extract at 21 g L⁻¹ achieved the highest mean values and differed significantly from the other treatments in ear length, number of rows per ear, number of grains per row, 500-grain weight, grain yield, and shelling percentage, recording averages of 25.413 cm, 19.853 rows ear⁻¹, 46.097 grains row⁻¹, 173.88 g, 6.392 t ha⁻¹, and 83.993%, respectively.

The interaction between the two study factors had a significant effect on all traits studied.