STRATEGIC PLANNING OF IRRIGATION AND PLANTING GEOMETRY FOR HYBRID MAIZE: A PATH TO IMPROVE PRODUCTIVITY, PROFITABILITY AND WATER SAVING

ABSTRACT A field study was conducted in Sherpur and Natore district of Bangladesh, to evaluate the effects of different irrigation regimes on the yield and water productivity of hybrid maize. Five irrigation treatments and three cultivars were tested in a factorial arrangement. The results showed significant variation of grain yield across treatments and locations. Averaged over locations, T3 (3 irrigations at 25, 45 and 65 Days after sowing plus twin-row, plus 30% excess fertilizer application) produced the highest yield (13.67 t ha⁻¹), representing an 11.9% increase over T1 (4 irrigations), while T5 (only one life irrigation) produced the lowest yield (11.15 t ha⁻¹). Water use varied markedly, with T3 and T2 requiring 15 cm of irrigation water (25% savings over T1), T4 requiring 12 cm (40% savings), and T5 only 6 cm (70% savings). Although T5 achieved maximum water savings, the associated yield loss indicates that excessive deficit irrigation is unsuitable for optimizing production. The results highlight that extreme water deficit reduces productivity, whereas moderate savings, as in T3, optimize the yield–water trade-off. Performance trends were consistent at both sites, indicating that T3’s irrigation strategy is suitable across different agro-ecological zones. Among cultivars, grain yield varied significantly, with DURJOY (12.57 t ha⁻¹) and Five Star (12.18 t ha⁻¹) outperforming BARI Hybrid Maize 17 (9.99 t ha⁻¹). Combining optimal management practices similar to T3 with high-yielding cultivars such as DURJOY or Five Star could substantially enhance maize productivity in the study area. Keywords: Maize, planting geometry, twin-row, water use, profitability.