Impacts of Heat Stress around Flowering on Growth and Development Dynamic of Maize ( L.) Ear and Yield Formation.

Heat stress around flowering is harmful to maize growth and yield. Ear traits are closely related to yield; however, the effects of heat stress before and after flowering on ear development and yield traits remain unclear for different heat-tolerant cultivars. In this study, field experiments were conducted in 2020 and 2021, including (i) three sowing dates, (ii) three temperature regimes: control (CK), heated before silking (V9-R1, TBS) and heated after silking (R1-R1 + 15 d, TAS), and (iii) two hybrids (ZD958: heat-tolerant; DH605: heat-sensitive).