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.