OPTIMAL PLANT DENSITY DETERMINATION OF CORN CULTIVARS P-9422, P-9490 AND 3018, AZUERO PANAMA, 1997.

Abstract

In three different corn areas of Azuero Region was carried out three corn trials. The general objective was to assess the response of three commercial hybrids to different plants densities. The cultivars evaluated were the national hybrids P-9422 and P-9490 and the imported hybrid 3018. The experimental design used was Completely Randomized Block in a split plot arrangement with three replications. The plants densities evaluated were 2.96, 6.06 and 8.88 plants/m². The high density decreased the ear’s size of the three cultivars. Another factor affected by the population growth was the number of ears by plant. When the plants increased, a great number of plant without ears were observed. The number of plants obtain the optimal yield was different at the three sites. The highest values were found in Mariabe, while the lowest was localized in Purio. The plant population for optimized the yield of P-9422 fluctuated between 3.48 and 8.79 plants/m², meanwhile, this values for the P-9490 oscillated between 3.75 to 6.99 plants/m². The optimal population for 3018 varied between 6.15 to 7.32 plants/m².