Responses to Limited Irrigation and Water Use Efficiency in new Maize Hybrids in Warm Climate of Iran

This study was conducted in 2008 to evaluate the effects of deficit irrigation on grain yield and water use efficiency of new promising maize hybrids at Safiabad Agricultural Research Center of Dezful. The experimental design was a randomized complete block with strip plot arrangement of treatments. Irrigation was considered as the main factor at levels including: control (no water stress) and deficit irrigation during the vegetative growth, anthesis and grain filling stages. Maize hybrids were also considered as sub-factor at six levels including: H1, H2, H3, H4, H5, H6, and KSC704 as control. Irrigation was applied after the depletion of 45 and 65% of available water in soil. Results indicated that in control treatment, the volume of water used and grain yield were 7530.84 m 3 /ha and 7088.45 kg/ha, respectively. Deficit irrigation treatments applied during the vegetative growth, anthesis and grain filling stages used 1678.7, 564.5 and1074.7m 3 /ha less water than control, respectively. Grain yields in deficit irrigation treatments were also reduced by 1223.14, 827.8, 491.6 kg/ha during the similar stages compared to the control. H4 had the highest economic efficiency in both deficit irrigation and control treatments by producing a grain yield of more than 1 kg.