effect of spraying with alcohol plant extracts of water hyacinth Eichhorinia crassipes and silverleaf solanum elaeagnifolium on growth and yield of corn, zea mays

Abstract

A Field experiment was carried out at private field, Jazirah district, Al-Budhiyab, which is located at latitude 38.28° North and longitude 43.19° East, to study effect of different concentrations of water hyacinth and silverleaf extracts on three cultivars of corn. The experiment was applied using split-split plot arrangement within RCBD with three replicates. Main-plots were represented by the cultivars Sumer, Fajr and Maha, and sub-plots, were the spray concentrations included 0,5,15 and25 mg L-1. The results showed that the cultivar Fajr was superior in plant height, leaf area, number of rows per ear, and number of grains per row in the spring season, with averages of 253.63 cm, 4978 cm2, 18.58 rows ear-1, 45.54 grain per row-1. While the Maha cultivar outperformed all the traits except for the number of grains in a row in the fall season with averages of 269.00 cm, 4841 cm2, 16.12 row ear-1 diameter of stem 24.77 mm and 19.15 mm (in the two seasons) and the yield of 4.21 ton ha-1. In the spring season. And the weight of combined weeds decreased by 0.014 mg plant-1 in the fall season. While the Sumer cultivar reduced the weight of combined weeds by 0.050 mg plant-1 in the spring season and increased the number of grains in the row by 38.75 grain per row-1 in the fall season and the weight of 500 grains was 106.80 and 87.65 g in the two seasons respectively, and the result was 2.83 ton ha-1 (in the spring season). The concentration exceeded 25 mg L-1in plant height 267.70 cm and the concentration decreased by 15 mg L-1dry weeds weight in the two seasons 0.072 and 0.023 mg plant-1 respectively, and the same concentration increased the number of rows of ear in the spring season 18.11 row ear-1 and the number of grains 44.89 grain row-1. The concentration of 5 mg L-1increased the weight of 500 grains in the spring season by 109.41 g. it could be concluded that 15 mg L-1 was the best to improve growth and yield properties of Zea mays.