Abstract:
This study was carried out to
investigate the effects of different sowing
times on duration of tasselling, plant
height, first ear height, ear length, ear
diameter, number of ears per plant, fresh
ear yield with husk, fresh ear yield
unhusked, and marketable number of ears
of different sweet corn (Zea mays L.
saccharata Sturt.) varieties in Diyarbakır
between the years of 2010-2012. The trial
was conducted as split plots in randomised
complete blocks with three replications.
The main plots were sowing times, and the
sub-plots were varieties. The trials were
carried out at eight different sowing times
(1 April, 15 April, 1 May, 15 May, 1 June,
15 June, 1 July and 15 July) with ‘Merit’,
‘Jubilee’, ‘Lumina’, ‘Vega’ and ‘Sakarya’
composite sweet corn varieties. From the
variance analysis of the three-year
combined average, the duration of
tasselling, plant height, first ear height, ear
length, ear diameter, number of ears per
plant, fresh husked ear yield, fresh
unhusked ear yield and marketable ear
number were statistically significant for
sowing times and varieties. According to
the sowing time × variety interaction,
except ears per plant and first ear height
values, all other traits were significant.
The fresh husked and unhusked ear yields
varied between 8541.7-19396.8 kg ha-1
and 5065.0-13485.7 kg ha-1, respectively.
The highest fresh husked and fresh
unhusked ear yields were obtained from
the 15 April sowing time of ‘Vega’
variety. The results state that optimal
sowing dates for different varieties of
sweet corn could be from 1 April to 1 May,
and the most suitable variety to be planted
is ‘Vega’ in Diyarbakır conditions.
