Welcome to Acta Agronomica Sinica，

Acta Agronomica Sinica ›› 2021, Vol. 47 ›› Issue (7): 1324-1331.doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1006.2021.03045

• TILLAGE & CULTIVATION·PHYSIOLOGY & BIOCHEMISTRY • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Effects of irrigating at different growth stages on kernel number of spring maize in the North China Plain

GAO Zhen1,2, LIANG Xiao-Gui2, ZHANG Li2, ZHAO Xue2, DU Xiong1, CUI Yan-Hong1, ZHOU Shun-Li2,3,4,*()   

  1. 1College of Agronomy, Hebei Agricultural University / State Key Laboratory of North China Crop Improvement and Regulation / Key Laboratory of Crop Growth Regulation of Hebei Province, Baoding 071001, Hebei, China
    2College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
    3Scientific Observing and Experimental Station of Crop High Efficient Use of Water in Wuqiao, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Wuqiao 061802, Hebei, China
    4Innovation Center of Agricultural Technology for Lowland Plain of Hebei, Wuqiao 061802, Hebei, China
  • Received:2020-07-24 Accepted:2020-12-01 Online:2021-07-12 Published:2020-12-29
  • Contact: ZHOU Shun-Li E-mail:zhoushl@cau.edu.cn
  • Supported by:
    This study was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2016YFD0300301), the China Agriculture Research System (CARS-02-13), the Startup Fund from Hebei Agricultural University (YJ201827), and the Research Development Fund of Hebei Agricultural University (YJ2019006).

RichHTML385

36

PDF

570

Abstract:

Drought stress is the main limiting factor for kernel setting of spring maize in the North China plain (NCP). It is important to investigate the effects of irrigation at different growth stages on kernel number, which contributes much to improve grain yield and water use efficiency of spring maize in the NCP. A three-year field experiment was conducted from 2014 to 2016. Irrigating at V6, V12, tasseling, 15 days after silking stage, and rain-fed treatments were set to evaluate the soil water change, ear leaf photosynthesis rate, kernel number per ear and their relationships. The results indicated that irrigating could increase kernel number in dry years, and irrigating at tasseling stage increased kernel number by 1.4%-97.0% compared with other treatments in 2015 and 2016. However, there were no significant differences among each treatment in kernel number in the rainy year of 2016. Irrigating at V6 and V12 stage increased vegetative growth of spring maize, including leaf area and biomass, whereas drought stress occurring at flowering stage still reduced kernel number. In irrigating treatment at tasseling stage, vegetative growth would be inhibited by drought, thus lowing leaf area index and biomass, but ensuring water availability during silking-pollination-kernel growth stage. Moreover, irrigating at tasseling stage increased photosynthesis rate (Pn) by 5.2%-32.8% than other treatments. Regression analysis suggested that high water availability could significantly increase Pn (P = 0.0034) and kernel number (P = 0.0137), but excess rainfall (low solar radiation) had adverse effect on kernel setting. Overall, irrigating at tasseling stage in dry years was a critical management to ensure kernel number of spring maize.

Key words: spring maize, kernel number per ear, photosynthesis rate, soil water content, regression analysis

Fig. 1

Rainfall and temperature distribution during spring maize growth stages from 2014 to 2016 The arrows in this figure indicate silking dates of spring maize; V6 and V12 indicate the 6th, 12th leaf collar is visible, respectively; R1 and R6 indicate silking and maturity stage, respectively."

Fig. 2

Effects of irrigating at different growth stages on soil water content (g g-1) at each stage of spring maize VS, V6, V12 indicate sowing date, the 6th, the 12th leaf collar is visible, respectively; R1 and R6 indicate silking and maturity stage, respectively. A-D, E-I, and J-N indicate in 2014, 2015, and 2016, respectively; A, E, J: the control treatment; B, F, K: IV6 treatment; G, L: IV12 treatment; C, H, M: IS treatment; D, I, N: IS15 treatment."

Fig. 3

Effects of irrigating at different growth stages on spring maize kernel number The white circles are mean values; different letters above the boxes are significantly different among the different treatments at the 0.05 probability level; CK, IV6, IV12, IS, and IS15 indicate the control without irrigation, irrigating when the 6th and 12th leaf collar is visible, silking stage and the 15 day after silking stage, respectively."

Fig. 4

Effects of irrigating at different growth stages on biomass in spring maize The different letters above the bars are significantly different among the different treatments at the 0.05 probability level; V12, R1, R6 indicate the 12th leaf collar is visible, silking and maturity stage, respectively; CK, IV6, IV12, IS, IS15 indicate the control without irrigation, irrigating at V6, V12, R1, and R6, respectively."

Fig. 5

Effects of irrigating at different growth stages on ear leaf photosynthesis at silking (A) and ASI (B) in spring maize The different letters above the bars are significantly different among the different treatments at the 0.05 probability level; CK, IV6, IV12, IS, IS15 indicate the control without irrigation, irrigating at when the 6th and 12th leaf collar is visible, silking and 15 day after silking stage, respectively."

Fig. 6

Relationships between soil water content with photosynthesis rate and kernel number per ear at silking stage The triangle, circle, and square indicate in 2014, 2015, and 2016, respectively; CK, IV6, IV12, IS, IS15 indicate the control without irrigation, irrigating at when the 6th and 12th leaf collar is visible, silking and 15 day after silking stage, respectively."

Fig. 7

Rainfall distribution in each month at experimental site from 1986 to 2016 The data above boxes indicate the coefficient of variation in each month."

[1] Cui J X, Yan P, Wang X L, Yang J, Li Z J, Yang X L, Sui P, Chen Y Q. Integrated assessment of economic and environmental consequences of shifting cropping system from wheat-maize to monocropped maize in the North China Plain. J Clean Prod, 2018,193:524-532.
[2] Liu C M, Zhang X Y, Zhang Y Q. Determination of daily evaporation and evapotranspiration of winter wheat and maize by large-scale weighing lysimeter and micro-lysimeter. Agric For Meteorol, 2002,111:109-120.
[3] Sun H Y, Shen Y J, Yu Q, Flerchinger G N, Zhang Y Q, Liu C M, Zhang X Y. Effect of precipitation change on water balance and WUE of the winter wheat-summer maize rotation in the North China Plain. Agric Water Manag, 2010,97:1139-1145.
[4] Zhang X, Pei D, Chen S, Sun H, Yang Y. Performance of double cropped winter wheat-summer maize under minimum irrigation in the North China Plain. Agron J, 2006,98:1620-1626.
[5] Shen Y, Zhang Y, Scanlon B R, Lei H, Yang D, Fan Y. Energy/water budgets and productivity of the typical croplands irrigated with groundwater and surface water in the North China Plain. Agric For Meteorol, 2013,181:133-142.
[6] Umair M, Shen Y, Qi Y, Zhang Y, Ahmad A, Pei H, Liu M. Evaluation of the CropSyst Model during wheat-maize rotations on the North China Plain for identifying soil evaporation losses. Fron Plant Sci, 2017,8:1667.
[7] Xiao D P, Shen Y J, Qi Y Q, Moiwo J P, Min L L, Zhang Y C, Guo Y, Pei H W. Impact of alternative cropping systems on groundwater use and grain yields in the North China Plain region. Agric Syst, 2017,153:109e117.
[8] Gao Z, Feng H Y, Liang X G, Zhang L, Lin S, Zhao X, Shen S, Zhou L L, Zhou S L. Limits to maize productivity in North China Plain: a comparison analysis for spring and summer maize. Field Crops Res, 2018,228:39-47.
[9] Çakir R. Effect of water stress at different development stages on vegetative and reproductive growth of corn. Field Crops Res, 2004,89:1-16.
[10] Chinnusamy V, Zhu J K. Epigenetic regulation of stress responses in plants. Curr Opin Plant Biol, 2009,12:133-139.
doi: 10.1016/j.pbi.2008.12.006 pmid: 19179104
[11] 纪瑞鹏, 车宇胜, 朱永宁, 梁涛, 冯锐, 于文颖, 张玉书. 干旱对东北春玉米生长发育和产量的影响. 应用生态学报, 2012,23:3021-3026.
Ji R P, Che Y S, Zhu Y N, Liang T, Feng R, Yu W Y, Zhang Y S. Impacts of drought stress on the growth and development and grain yield of spring maize in Northeast China. Chin J Appl Ecol, 2012,23:3021-3026 (in Chinese with English abstract).
[12] 李叶蓓, 陶洪斌, 王若男, 张萍, 吴春江, 雷鸣, 张巽, 王璞. 干旱对玉米穗发育及产量的影响. 中国生态农业学报, 2015,23:383-391.
Li Y B, Tao H B, Wang R N, Zhang P, Wu C J, Lei M, Zhang X, Wang P. Effect of drought on ear development and yield of maize. Chin J Eco-Agric, 2015,23:383-391 (in Chinese with English abstract).
[13] Denmead O T, Shaw R H. The effects of soil moisture stress at different stages of growth on the development and yield of corn. Agron J, 1960,52:272-274.
[14] Li Y, Guan K, Peng B, Franz T E, Wardlow B, Pan M. Quantifying irrigation cooling benefits to maize yield in the US Midwest. Glob Change Biol, 2020,26:3065-3078.
[15] 张岁岐, 周小平, 慕自新, 山仑, 刘小芳. 不同灌溉制度对玉米根系生长及水分利用效率的影响. 农业工程学报, 2009,25(10):1-6.
Zhang S Q, Zhou X P, Mu Z X, Shan L, Liu X F. Effects of different irrigation patterns on root growth and water use efficiency of maize. Trans CSAE,2009, 25(10):1-6.
[16] Li Z Z, Sun Z H. Optimized single irrigation can achieve high corn yield and water use efficiency in the Corn Belt of Northeast China. Eur J Agron, 2016,75:12-24.
[17] Gao Z, Liang X G, Lin S, Zhao X, Zhang L, Zhou L L, Shen S, Zhou S L. Supplemental irrigation at tasseling optimizes water and nitrogen distribution for high-yield production in spring maize. Field Crops Res, 2017,209:120-128.
[18] Borrás L, Vitantonio-Mazzini L N. Maize reproductive development and kernel set under limited plant growth environments. J Exp Bot, 2018,69:3235-3243.
doi: 10.1093/jxb/erx452 pmid: 29304259
[19] 陈国平, 王荣焕, 赵久然. 玉米高产田的产量结构模式及关键因素分析. 玉米科学, 2009,17(4):89-93.
Chen G P, Wang R H, Zhao J R. Analysis on yield structural model and key factors of maize high-yield plots. J Maize Sci, 2009,17(4):89-93.
[20] Oury V, Caldeira C F, Prodhomme D, Pichon J P, Gibon Y, Tardieu F, Turc O. Is change in ovary carbon status a cause or a consequence of maize ovary abortion in water deficit during flowering? Plant Physiol, 2016,171:997-1008.
doi: 10.1104/pp.15.01130 pmid: 27208256
[21] Shen S, Zhang L, Liang X G, Zhao X, Lin S, Qu L H, Liu Y P, Gao Z, Ruan Y L, Zhou S L. Delayed pollination and low availability of assimilates are major factors causing maize kernel abortion. J Exp Bot, 2018,69:1599-1613.
doi: 10.1093/jxb/ery013 pmid: 29365129
[22] Zinselmeier C, Jeong B R, Boyer J S. Starch and the control of kernel number in maize at low water potentials. Plant Physiol, 1999,121:25-36.
doi: 10.1104/pp.121.1.25 pmid: 10482657
[23] Zinselmeier C, Lauer M J, Boyer J S. Reversing drought-induced losses in grain-yield: sucrose maintains embryo growth in maize. Crop Sci, 1995,35:1390-1400.
[24] Boyer J S, McLaughlin J E,. Functional reversion to identify controlling genes in multigenic responses: analysis of floral abortion. J Exp Bot, 2007,58:267-277.
doi: 10.1093/jxb/erl177 pmid: 17105969
[25] Ruan Y L, Patrick J W, Bouzayen M, Osorio S, Fernie A R. Molecular regulation of seed and fruit set. Trends Plant Sci, 2012,17:656-665.
doi: 10.1016/j.tplants.2012.06.005 pmid: 22776090
[26] Oury V, Tardieu F, Turc O. Ovary apical abortion under water deficit is caused by changes in sequential development of ovaries and in silk growth rate in maize. Plant Physiol, 2016,171:986-996.
doi: 10.1104/pp.15.00268 pmid: 26598464
[1] ZHENG Ying-Xia, CHEN Du, WEI Peng-Cheng, LU Ping, YANG Jin-Yue, LUO Shang-Ke, YE Kai-Mei, SONG Bi. Effects of planting density on lodging resistance and grain yield of spring maize stalks in Guizhou province [J]. Acta Agronomica Sinica, 2021, 47(4): 738-751.
[2] ZHU Ya-Li, WANG Chen-Guang, YANG Mei, ZHENG Xue-Hui, ZHAO Cheng-Feng, ZHANG Ren-He. Response of grain filling and dehydration characteristics of kernels located in different ear positions in the different maturity maize hybrids to plant density [J]. Acta Agronomica Sinica, 2021, 47(3): 507-519.
[3] LIU Peng-Zhao,SHI Zu-Jiao,NING Fang,WANG Rui,WANG Xiao-Li,LI Jun. Critical nitrogen dilution curves and nitrogen nutrition diagnosis of spring maize under different precipitation patterns in Weibei dryland [J]. Acta Agronomica Sinica, 2020, 46(8): 1225-1237.
[4] LI Rui-Jie,TANG Hui-Hui,WANG Qing-Yan,XU Yan-Li,WANG Qi,LU Lin,YAN Peng,DONG Zhi-Qiang,ZHANG Feng-Lu. Effects of 5-aminolevulinic acid and ethephon compound on carbon balance of source-sink of spring maize in Northeast China [J]. Acta Agronomica Sinica, 2020, 46(7): 1063-1075.
[5] ZHANG Yu-Qin,YANG Heng-Shan,LI Cong-Feng,ZHAO Ming,LUO Fang,ZHANG Rui-Fu. Effects of strip-till with staggered planting on yield formation and shoot-root characteristics of spring maize in irrigation area of Xiliaohe plain [J]. Acta Agronomica Sinica, 2020, 46(6): 902-913.
[6] Wei BAI,Zhan-Xiang SUN,Li-Zhen ZHANG,Jia-Ming ZHENG,Liang-Shan FENG,Qian CAI,Wu-Yan XIANG,Chen FENG,Zhe ZHANG. Effects of plough layer construction on soil three phase rate and root morphology of spring maize in northeast China [J]. Acta Agronomica Sinica, 2020, 46(5): 759-771.
[7] Li-Lan ZHANG, Lie-Mei ZHANG, Huan-Ying NIU, Yi XU, Yu LI, Jian-Min QI, Ai-Fen TAO, Ping-Ping FANG, Li-Wu ZHANG. Correlation between SSR markers and fiber yield related traits in jute (Corchorus spp.) [J]. Acta Agronomica Sinica, 2020, 46(12): 1905-1913.
[8] CHEN Er-Ying, WANG Run-Feng, QIN Ling, YANG Yan-Bing, LI Fei-Fei, ZHANG Hua-Wen, WANG Hai-Lian, LIU Bin, KONG Qing-Hua, GUAN Yan-An. Comprehensive identification and evaluation of foxtail millet for saline-alkaline tolerance during germination [J]. Acta Agronomica Sinica, 2020, 46(10): 1591-1604.
[9] Fang NING,Yuan-Hong ZHANG,Peng-Fei WEN,Rui WANG,Qian WANG,Zhao-Yang DONG,Guang-Can JIA,Jun LI. Responses of maize growth and yield to nitrogen application in dryland under different precipitation conditions [J]. Acta Agronomica Sinica, 2019, 45(5): 777-791.
[10] Hui-Hui TANG,Yan-Li XU,Qing-Yan WANG,Zheng-Bo MA,Guang-Yan LI,Hui DONG,Zhi-Qiang DONG. Increasing spring maize yield by basic application of PASP chelating nitrogen fertilizer in northeast China [J]. Acta Agronomica Sinica, 2019, 45(3): 431-442.
[11] Hai-Chao FAN,Wan-Rong GU,De-Guang YANG,Ju-Ping YU,Lin PIAO,Qian ZHANG,Li-Guo ZHANG,Xiu-Hong YANG,Shi WEI. Effect of Chemical Regulators on Physical and Chemical Properties and Lodging Resistance of Spring Maize Stem in Northeast China [J]. Acta Agronomica Sinica, 2018, 44(6): 909-919.
[12] BAI Wei, ZHANG Li-Zhen, PANG Huan-Cheng, SUN Zhan-Xiang, NIU Shi-Wei, CAI Qian,AN Jing-Wen. Effects of Straw Returning Combined with Nitrogen Fertilizer on Photosynthetic Performance and Yield of Spring Maize in Northeast China [J]. Acta Agron Sin, 2017, 43(12): 1845-1855.
[13] ZHANG Chu,ZHANG Yong-Qing,LU Zhi-Juan,LIU Li-Qin. Screening FagopyrumtararicumGenotypes Tolerant to Low Nitrogen Stress at Seedling Stageand Its Evaluating Indices [J]. Acta Agron Sin, 2017, 43(08): 1205-1215.
[14] LI Guang-Yan,WANG Qing-Yan,XU Yan-Li,LU Lin,Jiao Liu,DONG Xue-Rui,DONG Zhi-Qiang. Effect of Plant Growth Regulators on Key Enzymes in Sucrose Metabolism of Ear Leaf and Grain at Filling Stage of Spring Maize [J]. Acta Agron Sin, 2016, 42(08): 1215-1223.
[15] SUN Wan-Cang1,**,LIU Hai-Qing1,**,LIU Zi-Gang1,*,WU Jun-Yan,LI Xue-Cai,FANG Yan,ZENG Xiu-Cun,XU Yao-Zhao,ZHANG Ya-Hong,DONG Yun. Critical Index Analysisof Safe Over-wintering Rate ofWinter Rapeseed (Brassica rapa) in Cold and Arid Region in North China [J]. Acta Agron Sin, 2016, 42(04): 609-618.
Viewed
Full text


Abstract

Cited
  Shared   
  Discussed   
No Suggested Reading articles found!
Add: No.12 Zhongguancun South Street, Beijing 100081,China Email:xbzw@chinajournal.net.cn
Supported by Beijing Magtech Co.Ltd