Sensitivity assessment of maize (<i>Zea mays l.) Cultivars growth parameters to agrometeorological indices in Abeokuta, southwest Nigeria

Abstract

Growth parameters namely number of leaves, leaf area per plant and plant height were recorded in a field experiment in the late rainy season of 2016 to study the crop growth-weather relationship of four maize cultivars namely TZPB-SR-W, DMR-LSR-Y, ART/98/SW6 and BR/9928. The experimental plots were arranged in a Randomize Complete Block Design replicated three times. The crop growth parameters (number of leaves, plant height  and leaf area) and selected agrometeorological indices namely rainfall, maximum and minimum temperature, relative humidity and sunshine hour were subjected to correlation analysis. The study confirmed that number of leaves for the cultivars used for this research was the most sensitive  parameter to rainfall, minimum temperature and relative humidity fluctuations whereas it was least sensitive to maximum temperature and sunshine hour. Cultivars plant height and leaf area demonstrated highest sensitivity to maximum temperature and sunshine hour, respectively in the study area. The correlations coefficients (r) obtained in the experiment revealed that rainfall, minimum and maximum temperature and sunshine hour were positively correlated with crop growth parameters, but relative humidity was negatively correlated with all selected growth parameters. It was recommended that number of leaves be used as the most critical factor in determining maize cultivars sensitivity to weather vagaries in the study area.

Key words: maize, agrometeorological, indices, cultivars, sensitivity