THE EFFECT OF PHYSICAL PRIMING OF SEED ON TRAITS AND YIELD OF CORN (ZEA MAYS L.) UNDER WATER DEFICIT CONDITIONS IN IRAN

In order to study the effect of physical priming of seed on traits and yield of corn under water deficit conditions, a two years experiment was conducted during 2014-2015 as a split plot with three replications in Iran. The main factor includes two levels of irrigation (70 and 110 mm evaporation from pan class A as control and water deficit, respectively) after 8-9 leaves stage of corn and sub-factor includes corn seed treatment with gamma and beta rays, laser wave, magnetic field and ultrasonic waves, all in time intervals of 5 and 10 min. along with a non-primed control. Results indicated that maize seed priming under magnetic field of 5 and 10 min. and gamma and laser rays for 5 min. in normal irrigation regime were the best treatments with 20%, 18%, 16% and 13% increase value, respectively, while seed priming with gamma and laser rays for 10 min. under water deficit condition had the lowest grain yield. To increase corn grain yield in both normal and water deficit conditions, seed priming with the magnetic field in both time intervals, gamma and laser rays only in a short time is recommended.