The Role of Fertilization in Mitigating the Effects of Water Stress on Vegetative Growth and Yield of Maize (Zea mays L.)

• Zainab Hussein Kareem Al-Zubaidi1, Ali Basheer Hadi Rajab2, Saleh Hadi Faraj Al_khshemawee2, and Israa jabbar Shamkhi

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The study was done in Wasit Governorate, Iraq, with a split-plot arrangement within a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replicates. Full irrigation (I1, 100%), moderate stress (I2, 50%), and severe stress (I3, 25%) were considered in the main plots, while in the subplots, five fertilization regimes were considered (control (Fo), full chemical fertilizer (Fl), full organic fertilizer (F2), 40% organic + 60% chemical (F3), and 60% organic + 40% chemical (F4) . Measured growth parameters included days to flowering, leaf area, ear diameter, grains per row, total, and mean grain yield. Water stress was the main factor suppressing growth and yield parameters. The highest grain yield (5.09 Mg ha⁻¹) was recorded from I1 irrigation, while I3 recorded the least (3.73 Mg ha⁻¹). In addition to the impacts of irrigation, fertilization also recorded an impact where F3 was always better than all the treatments, whereby the highest mean grain yield (5.63 Mg ha⁻¹) and ear diameter of (6.04 cm) were recorded, while the control F0 was the lowest across all the parameters. I1 × F3, with the most doses of fertilizer and irrigation, led to the highest yield of grain, at 6.48 Mg ha⁻¹, and I3 × F0 had the lowest yield of grain, at 3.25 Mg ha⁻¹. This shows that if all of the optimal conditions (40% organic and 60% chemical fertilizer, along with full irrigation) are met, maize growth and yield are extremely enhanced, and balanced fertilization strategies can reduce the impact of water drought. Using appropriate fertilization methods can help produce maize sustainably.

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