Yield Response of Maize (Zea mays L.) Varieties to Row Spacing Under Irrigation at Geleko, Ofa Woreda, Wolaita Zone, Southern Ethiopia

A field study was conducted at Ofa district-Geleko irrigation site during the off-season of 2016/17 cropping season with the objective of evaluating different varieties and row spacing on growth, yield and yield components of maize. Four plant row spacing (45 cm, 55 cm, 65 cm and 75 cm) and three maize varieties (‘BH-540’, Lemu‘P3812W’and Jabi ‘PHB 3253’) were tested in factorial arrangement laid out in RCBD replicated three times. Data on yield and yield components of the crop were recorded. The result indicated that most of the parameters such as number of ears per plant, ear diameter, 1000 kernel weight, number of kernels per ear, number of kernels per rows, grain yield per hectar were significantly influenced by the interaction effect of row spacing and varieties. Significantly highest grain yield were produced by maize variety Lemu grown at row spacing of 65 cm, which is statistically similar with variety BH-540 grown at row spacing of 65 and 75 cm and also the same variety grown at row spacing of 75 cm, while lowest was recorded for variety Jabi grown at row spacing of 45 cm. Based on these results, it can be concluded that under irrigated condition Lemu and BH-540 maize varieties at 65-75 cm row spacing resulted higher biomass and grain yield of maize and may be used by farmers of the area. However, since the study was at only one location and for single cropping season repeating the experiment across different locations and years is needed to reach at conclusive recommendations.