Investigating Seed Germination Indices and Absorption Rate of Sodium, Chloride, Calcium, and Potassium in Different Parts of Seedlings of Sweet Corn KSC 403 (Zea Mays L var. Saccharata) Under Salinity Stress and Seed Priming

To investigate the effects of different levels of seed priming on germination indices and nutrient absorption at early growth stages of sweet corn (Golden Kernel Hybrid) a factorial experiment based on completely randomized design was conducted with three replications in 2011. The experiment consists of 6 levels of primings (seeds without priming, priming with tap water, priming with distilled water, priming with sodium chloride, potassium chloride, and hydrous calcium chloride) and five levels of salinity (zero, 4, 8, 12 and 16 ds/m sodium chloride). The characteristics studied were germination percentage, germination rate, root and shoot length, fresh weight and dry weight of seedling, root to shoot ratio and determination of sodium, chloride, calcium, and potassium concentration in different parts of seedlings (stems, roots and seed). The results indicated that increasing salinity stress levels decreased all parameters measured. Priming seeds with hydrated calcium chloride responded to significantly to salinity stress better than other treatments. Results also showed that increasing concentration of sodium chloride salt, increased absorption rate of sodium but concentration of calcium and potassium were reduced. Because application of hydrous calcium chloride stimulates cell in using calcium under salinity conditions it leads to improved seedling growth parameters. To achieve a more accurate results slicing interaction effect of seed priming×salinity levels was performed. Hydrous calcium chloride treatments improved all traits under study except sodium and potassium concentration. This represents a better performance of seeds germination under salinity stress when seeds primed with hydrous calcium chloride

Effects of Planting Pattern on Morphophiysiological Characteristics and Yield and Yield Components of Sweet and Super Sweet Corn Varieties (Zea mays L. var. saccarata)

Considering the importance of sweet corn as a new food product, this study was conducted to evaluate the effects of planting pattern on some important morphophiyziological characteristics and yield and yield components of sweet and super sweet corn (Zea Mays L. var. saccharata) varieties in Agricultural Research and Natural Resources of Khorasan Razavi Province, Mashhad, Iran in 2011. In this study three methods of planting (one and two raised bed and furrow planting) and three varieties sweet corn (Chase, Temptation, KSC403su) and one super sweet corn (Challenger) were studied in factorial experiment based on Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications. The result of ANOVA showed that sweet corn hybrids had significant differences in kernel depth, conservable grain yield and ear harvest index. It also showed that number of leaves per plant, number of leaves above ear, stem diameter, ear diameter, kernel depth, conservable grain yield and forage yield, were significantly different among three levels of planting patterns. The maximum main of these characters was belonging to two-raised bed planting pattern. In addition, the highest conservable grain yield was belonged to Challenger in two raised bed planting pattern with 25.76 ton/ha and highest fresh foliage yield was 48.6 ton/ha which belonged to Chase on one raised bed planting method. The highest ear harvest index belonged to Chase on two-raised bed planting pattern. Finally, the result showed that two raised bed planting pattern and Challenger with highest conservable grain yield trait could be used to increase sweet corn yield