Osmoconditioning of creole maize: effects on phenology and growth

Given the importance of creole maize for small farmers in Mexico and the need to take advantage of moisture in temporary crops, the objective of this work was to study the effects of osmoaconditioning treatments on maize seeds on the emergence, growth and phenology of the resulting plants. The treatments were water and a solution of AG3 at 0.3 g L -1 with two exposure times (12 and 18 h) in creole maize (Mején, Chalqueño and Negrito) and a commercial variety (VS-536). The variables observed were percentage and speed of emergency, growth, dry matter, days to flowering and NPK concentration. The experimental design in randomized complete blocks with factorial arrangement (4 x 2 x 2) had four repetitions and four control. The results showed that the variety factor was highly significant (p≤ 0.001) for the emergency percentage, where the Negrito creole with 12 h showed the highest value (76.8%) 3 days after sowing (dds), although the Mején showed higher emergency speed (4.6 seeds day) and higher growth rate (4.32 cm day plant) at 11 dds. On the other hand, the Chalqueño creole reached the highest gain of dry matter (0.71 g day plant) at 25 dds, while the Mején showed a smaller number of days to male and female flowering (48 and 55, respectively). The highest concentration of NPK in the plant was found in the VS-536 variety. It is concluded that osmoaconditioning treatments induce positive effects on the emergence, growth and phenology of the maize studied.