Hafiz Muhammad Bilawal Akram1,*, Imran Ullah2, Hafiz Ghulam Nabi3, Nida Shahzad4, Muhammad Ahmad5 and Ayesha Farzand6
1Department of Agronomy, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad-38040, Pakistan 2Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, MNS-University of Agriculture, Multan-60000, Pakistan 3State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology/Beijing Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China 4Department of Botany, College of Life Sciences, Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University, China, 712100 5Beijing Key Laboratory of Growth and Developmental Regulation for Protected vegeTable Crops, College of Horticulture, China Agricultural university, Beijing, 100193, China 6Institute of Soil and Environmental Sciences, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad-38040, Pakistan
*Corresponding author: bilawalakram48@gmail.com
The goal of study was to simulate how plant spacing might affect maize yield in the semi-arid region of Punjab, Pakistan. At University of Agriculture Faisalabad's Agronomy field, the field experiment was carried out. To determine reasons for the changes in grain yield linked to cultivar and plant spacing, various crop growth parameters were recorded. In the case of LAI, plant spacing had a non-significant impact. The maximum mean value of LAI and crop growth was 4.28 and 27.86 g m-2 d-1 at plant spacing S2 (20 cm) with hybrid H1 (DK-6714), respectively. The minimum mean value for the crop growth rate was recorded (18.86 g m-2 d-1) plant spacing S1 (10 cm) with hybrid H1 (DK-6789). In case of dry matter production, both plant spacing and hybrid had a significant impact. Maximum mean dry matter production (19.47 t ha-1) that was recorded in plant spacing S2 (20 cm) with hybrid H1 (DK-6714). Minimum mean dry matter production was recorded (16.30 t ha-1) in plant spacing S1 (10 cm) with hybrid H1 (DK-6714). For harvest index, plant spacing had a significant impact while hybrid had a non-significant impact. The maximum mean value (47.61) was recorded in second plant spacing S2 (20 cm) with hybrid H1 (DK-6714). Results indicated that observed and simulated values were closely related, and CERES-Maize model was accurately calibrated and performed very well.