Effect of water regimes and planting dates on growth and development of corn, sorghum and pearl millet

Abstract

The relative responses of corn (Zea mays L.), pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum L.) and sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) to water stress and planting dates effects were studied. Two hybrids each of corn and sorghum and two inbred lines of pearl millet were grown from two planting dates of mid-May and mid-July under wet and dry soil moisture conditions. Water stress reduced plant heights, seed volume weight (except within the May planting, water stress increased seed volume-weight for sorghum), seed weight, and forage yield with less effect than for grain yield. Mid-July planting reduced the number of days to anthesis and heights of pearl millet and sorghum plants while it did increase the height of corn plants. Mid-May planting appeared to increase seed volume-weight and seed weight. Crops yielded more when planted in May except for pearl millet which yielded better under dry conditions when planted in July.