Abstract
Maize is an important cereal crop in the humid tropics and sub-Saharan Africa, ranking third behind wheat and rice. Therefore, optimal plant density and good agronomic procedures are essential for enhancing maize Two field trials were conducted at the Teaching and Research Farm of the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Abuja, Nigeria, during the growing seasons of 2023 and 2024, to investigate the impacts of intra-row spacing (75 cm × 25 cm, 75 cm × 35 cm, 75 cm × 45 cm and 75 cm × 75 cm) and the number of seeds per hole, (1, 2 and 3) on the growth and yield of maize. A 3 × 4 factorial Randomised Complete Design with 3 replications was used. Data collected includes percentage germination, plant height, number of leaves/plant, leaf area, stem girth, cob length, cob diameter, shelling percentage and grain yield. Percentage germination, plant height, leaf area, and number of leaves per plant were not influenced by the seed rate and intra-row spacing. The parameters were also not influenced by the interaction of intra-row spacing and the number of seeds per hole. While the number of seeds per hole significantly influenced stem girth, the effect of intra-row spacing was not significant. The results showed that plant spacing of 75 cm × 25 cm yielded the highest grain yield (5.11 t/ha in 2023 and 5.3 t/ha in 2024). One seed per hole produced the highest grain yield (3.9 t/ha). The study recommends planting one seed per hole at a spacing of 75 cm × 25 cm for optimal maize production in Abuja.