Optimizing Row Spacing Increases Stalk Lodging Resistance by Improving Light Distribution in Dense Maize Populations
Dense planting effectively increases maize yield while increasing stalk lodging risk. Appropriate row spacing can improve the maize population structure and stalk lodging resistance, but its physiological ecological mechanisms and interaction with planting density are unclear. Here, a two-year field...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-02-01
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| Series: | Agronomy |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/13/2/462 |
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| author | Rong Jin Zhong Li Xinglong Wang Fan Liu Fanlei Kong Qinlin Liu Tianqiong Lan Dongju Feng Jichao Yuan |
| author_facet | Rong Jin Zhong Li Xinglong Wang Fan Liu Fanlei Kong Qinlin Liu Tianqiong Lan Dongju Feng Jichao Yuan |
| author_sort | Rong Jin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Dense planting effectively increases maize yield while increasing stalk lodging risk. Appropriate row spacing can improve the maize population structure and stalk lodging resistance, but its physiological ecological mechanisms and interaction with planting density are unclear. Here, a two-year field experiment to determine the joint effects of row spacing and planting density on maize stem characteristics and the quantitative relationship of the light condition within a maize population with stalk lodging resistance indicated that the stalk mechanical strength showed a quadratic function relationship with photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), whereas the lodging rate showed an exponential function relationship with basal light transmittance (LT). Further, the basal LT was significantly positively correlated with basal internode thickness, dry weight per unit stem length (DWUL), mechanical and cortical tissue thickness, and lignin and cellulose contents. Increasing the planting density decreased the basal LT and PAR; correspondingly decreased the basal internode thickness, DWUL, mechanical and cortical tissue thickness, lignin and cellulose contents, and stalk mechanical strength; and increased the lodging rate, while increasing row spacing did the opposite. Thus, optimizing the row spacing enhanced the lodging resistance through LT and PAR improvement of the lower part of the population and further increased the grain yield by optimizing the yield components. The appropriate row spacing varied with the planting density. The proper strategy for high stalk lodging resistance and grain yielding under this experimental condition was 67,500 plants ha<sup>−1</sup> density with 60 + 60 cm equal row spacing. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T09:17:31Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-fe4deef0e40849db994c06589f5961a0 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4395 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T09:17:31Z |
| publishDate | 2023-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Agronomy |
| spelling | doaj.art-fe4deef0e40849db994c06589f5961a02023-11-16T18:34:57ZengMDPI AGAgronomy2073-43952023-02-0113246210.3390/agronomy13020462Optimizing Row Spacing Increases Stalk Lodging Resistance by Improving Light Distribution in Dense Maize PopulationsRong Jin0Zhong Li1Xinglong Wang2Fan Liu3Fanlei Kong4Qinlin Liu5Tianqiong Lan6Dongju Feng7Jichao Yuan8Key Laboratory of Crop Ecophysiology and Farming System in Southwest China, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Agriculture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, ChinaNanchong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanchong 637000, ChinaKey Laboratory of Crop Ecophysiology and Farming System in Southwest China, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Agriculture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, ChinaKey Laboratory of Crop Ecophysiology and Farming System in Southwest China, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Agriculture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, ChinaKey Laboratory of Crop Ecophysiology and Farming System in Southwest China, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Agriculture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, ChinaKey Laboratory of Crop Ecophysiology and Farming System in Southwest China, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Agriculture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, ChinaKey Laboratory of Crop Ecophysiology and Farming System in Southwest China, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Agriculture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, ChinaKey Laboratory of Crop Ecophysiology and Farming System in Southwest China, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Agriculture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, ChinaKey Laboratory of Crop Ecophysiology and Farming System in Southwest China, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Agriculture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, ChinaDense planting effectively increases maize yield while increasing stalk lodging risk. Appropriate row spacing can improve the maize population structure and stalk lodging resistance, but its physiological ecological mechanisms and interaction with planting density are unclear. Here, a two-year field experiment to determine the joint effects of row spacing and planting density on maize stem characteristics and the quantitative relationship of the light condition within a maize population with stalk lodging resistance indicated that the stalk mechanical strength showed a quadratic function relationship with photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), whereas the lodging rate showed an exponential function relationship with basal light transmittance (LT). Further, the basal LT was significantly positively correlated with basal internode thickness, dry weight per unit stem length (DWUL), mechanical and cortical tissue thickness, and lignin and cellulose contents. Increasing the planting density decreased the basal LT and PAR; correspondingly decreased the basal internode thickness, DWUL, mechanical and cortical tissue thickness, lignin and cellulose contents, and stalk mechanical strength; and increased the lodging rate, while increasing row spacing did the opposite. Thus, optimizing the row spacing enhanced the lodging resistance through LT and PAR improvement of the lower part of the population and further increased the grain yield by optimizing the yield components. The appropriate row spacing varied with the planting density. The proper strategy for high stalk lodging resistance and grain yielding under this experimental condition was 67,500 plants ha<sup>−1</sup> density with 60 + 60 cm equal row spacing.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/13/2/462planting densityrow spacinglight transmittanceinternode characteristicsstalk lodging resistance |
| spellingShingle | Rong Jin Zhong Li Xinglong Wang Fan Liu Fanlei Kong Qinlin Liu Tianqiong Lan Dongju Feng Jichao Yuan Optimizing Row Spacing Increases Stalk Lodging Resistance by Improving Light Distribution in Dense Maize Populations Agronomy planting density row spacing light transmittance internode characteristics stalk lodging resistance |
| title | Optimizing Row Spacing Increases Stalk Lodging Resistance by Improving Light Distribution in Dense Maize Populations |
| title_full | Optimizing Row Spacing Increases Stalk Lodging Resistance by Improving Light Distribution in Dense Maize Populations |
| title_fullStr | Optimizing Row Spacing Increases Stalk Lodging Resistance by Improving Light Distribution in Dense Maize Populations |
| title_full_unstemmed | Optimizing Row Spacing Increases Stalk Lodging Resistance by Improving Light Distribution in Dense Maize Populations |
| title_short | Optimizing Row Spacing Increases Stalk Lodging Resistance by Improving Light Distribution in Dense Maize Populations |
| title_sort | optimizing row spacing increases stalk lodging resistance by improving light distribution in dense maize populations |
| topic | planting density row spacing light transmittance internode characteristics stalk lodging resistance |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/13/2/462 |
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