EFFECT OF ESTABLISHMENT METHODS ON THE GROWTHOF TWO VARIETIES OF MAIZE (ZEAMAYSL.) IN ANYIGBA, KOGI STATE

An experiment was conducted during the 2025 cropping season at the Teaching and Research Farm, Prince Abubakar Audu University, Anyigba, Kogi State, to evaluate the effect of establishment methods and variety on the vegetative growth of maize (Zea mays L.). The trial was laid out in a factorial arrangement involving two establishment methods (flat and ridge) and two maize varieties (Oba Super-6 and Sammaz-52). Data were collected on plant height, leaf number, leaf area, and stem girth at 4, 6, and 8 weeks after planting (WAP). Results revealed that establishment method significantly influenced all growth parameters except leaf number at the early stages. Maize established on the flat consistently recorded higher values for plant height (90.28 cm), leaf area (568.79 cm²), leaf number (10.57 at 8 WAP), and stem girth (6.59 cm) compared to ridge establishment. Variety showed significant differences only in leaf number at 4 and 6 WAP, where Oba Super-6 produced more leaves than Sammaz-52. Other traits, including plant height, leaf area, and stem girth, were not significantly affected by variety. No significant interaction was observed between establishment method and variety, indicating that both varieties responded uniformly to the two establishment methods. The findings demonstrate that establishment method plays a more decisive role than variety in determining maize vegetative growth in Anyigba. Flat planting provided superior growth advantages by enhancing plant height, leaf area, and stem robustness. It is therefore recommended that farmers in Anyigba adopt flat establishment for maize cultivation to optimize vegetative growth and potentially improve yield performance.