*2.5. Plant and Yield Observations*

Five plants were randomly selected from each plot to measure plant height and number of tillers during each development stage. At grain maturity, the field was drained to allow the soil to dry before harvesting. Three one m quadrants were selected in each plot for yield measurements. Dry biomass (oven dried for 24 h or more until no change in weight) of different plant organs (stem, leaves and panicles) was weighed. Length and width of leaves were measured manually to estimate leaf area index (LAI) using the method by Yin et al. (2000) [34].
