Corn Production for Silage Subjected to Potassium Fertilization and Water Depths

Abstract

This study was carried out with the objective of evaluating the effect of water depths and potassium fertilizer levels on corn yield for silage. The experimental design was a randomized block design in a split-plot with six water depths based on crop potential evapotranspiration (ET cp ) in levels: 0.25; 0.50; 0.75; 1.00; 1.25 and 1.50 ET cp , and six amounts of potassium, 0, 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100 kg·ha -1 , in four replicates. The irrigation system was dripped. Before sowing was applied to the soil to nitrogen (N) and phosphate (P) fertilizers, corn was sown ten days after the fertilization using seeds from hybrid AG 1051. Manual harvesting of ears occurred 67 days after sowing. Production variables observed were fresh matter of plant with (FPMwiths) and without (FPMwithouts) the ears. The fresh matter of plant with and without the ears was influenced significantly by factors analyzed, the 1% level of probability by F test. The water depths in irrigation that maximized the physiological parameters of plants as FPMwiths and FPMwithouts were, respectively, 690 mm and 766.7 mm. The quantitative potassium to maximize physiological parameters of FMP with ears and FMP without ears was, respectively, 104.75 kg ha -1 and 52.1 kg ha -1 .