Management of Source-Sink Balance for Maintaining Seed Vigor and Storability of Maize

Abstract

Defoliation was the major factor which directly affected to maize seed yield and quality basis on source-sink relationship. Thus, the objectives were to study the effect of source-sink balance management on corn seed vigor and storability and to determine the effect of defoliation treatments on maize yield, yield components and produced seed germination traits. The experiment was arranged basis on Split-Plot in Randomized Complete Block Design with four replications. Main plot was the pattern of leave cutting with 5 levels: D1 = control, (without defoliating), D2 = complete defoliation, D3 = defoliating only under the ear, D4 = remain 2 top leaves, D5 = remain ear leaf. Sup-plot was leaf cutting dates which were C1 = 7 days after silking, C2 = 10 days after silking, C3 = 13 days after silking and C4 = 16 days after silking. Complete defoliation severely reduced ear weight, row number per ear, seed number per ear and 100 - seed weight (P<5%). Defoliation treatments had much more significantly affected on produced seed germination and seed vigor traits. Leaf defoliation intensity and leaf position affected total dry matter. Conclusion, the leaf defoliation only below ears was useful for source-sink balance management, because it promoted the seed qualities and vigor following to principle of parasitic sink elimination.