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Influence of Growth Retardants (Anti-Gibberellins) on Corn Vegetative Growth, Water Use, and Grain Yield under Different Levels of Water Stress¹

Corn (Zea mays L.) grown under the semiarid conditions of the Central Great Plains requires supplemental irrigation to obtain maximum yields. This practice has become increasingly less profitable as the cost of application of irrigation water has risen. It may prove to be more cost effective to reduce the water requirement of corn by limiting the vegetative development of the plant. Two anti-gibberellin, seed-applied, experimental plant growth regulators (PGRs), BAS 106. .W and BAS 110. .W, were used on corn grown under low and high levels of irrigation in a 2-yr (1984 and 1985) field study on a Rago silt loam soil (fine, montmorillonitic, mesic Pachic Argiustolls) to determine the effect of these PGRs on vegetative growth, water use, water stress, grain yield, and yield components. The PGRs were applied at three rates in both years (0, 100, and 200 mg a.i. kg^–1 of BAS 106. .W in 1984 and 0, 125, and 250 mg a.i. kg^–1 of BAS 110. .W in 1985). Increasing application rates of the PGRs caused a significant reduction in early season plant height, leaf area index (monitored in 1985 only), and dry matter accumulation (monitored in 1985 only), resulting in reduced early season evapotranspiration in both years. The PGR treatments reduced plant water stress during silking and early grain fill, particularly under the low irrigation treatment. The changes in plant growth and development associated with the PGRs resulted in a 9 and 16% increase in grain yield in 1984 and 1985, respectively, under the low irrigation treatment and a 7 and 9% reduction in grain yield in 1984 and 1985, respectively, under the high irrigation treatment. Therefore, reducing early season vegetative growth with the PGRs proved to be advantageous to productivity under water stress and counterproductive under nonlimiting water conditions.

Key Words: Zea mays L. • Yield components • Irrigation • Leaf area • Plant growth regulator

² Assistant professor, Dep. of Agronomy, Colorado State Univ., Ft. Collins, CO 80523, and research agronomist, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Central Great Plains Res. Stn., Akron, CO 80720, respectively.

Received for publication December 14, 1985.

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