Integrated Management Practices for Canopy-Topsoil Improves the Grain Yield of Maize with High Planting Density.

Inappropriate spatial distribution of canopy and roots limits further improvements to the grain yield of maize with increased planting density. We explored an integrated management practice called strip deep rotary with staggered planting (SRS) which includes comprehensive technology for both canopy layers and topsoil. Here, field experiments were conducted under two maize cropping systems (spring maize and summer maize) to evaluate the effect of SRS on the spatial distribution of the canopy and roots for maize under high planting density (90,000 plants ha) and to determine the physiological factors involved in yield formation.

Adjusting sowing date improves the photosynthetic capacity and grain yield by optimizing temperature condition around flowering of summer maize in the North China Plain.

Adjusting the sowing date to optimize temperature conditions is a helpful strategy for mitigating the adverse impact of high temperature on summer maize growth in the North China Plain (NCP). However, the physiological processes of variation in summer maize yield with sowing date-associated changes in temperature conditions around flowering remain to be poorly understood. In this study, field experiments with two maize varieties and three sowing dates (early sowing date, SD1, 21 May; conventional sowing date, SD2, 10 June; delay sowing date, SD3, 30 June) were conducted at Xinxiang of Henan Province in 2019 and 2020.

Subsoiling practices change root distribution and increase post-anthesis dry matter accumulation and yield in summer maize.

Subsoiling is an important management practice for improving maize yield, especially for maize planted at high plant density. However, the affected physiological processes have yet to be specifically identified. In this study, field experiments with two soil tillage (CK: no-tillage, SS: subsoiling) and three planting densities (low: 45000 plants ha-1, medium: 67500plants ha-1, and high: 90000 plants ha-1) were conducted from 2010 to 2012 at Xinxiang, Henan province.

[Heterosis of photosynthetic performance of maize].

Taking four maize inbred lines with different photosynthetic rate and their two hybrids as test materials, the diurnal variations of their photosynthesis parameters in silking stage were measured to study the heterosis of photosynthetic performance. The results showed that the net photosynthetic rate (P), transpiration rate (Tr) and stomatal conductance (Gs) all presented obvious single-peaked curve in a day, with the peak value occurred at 10:00-12:00, 12:00 and 10:00-12:00, respectively, while water use efficiency (WUE) had a "V" type variation trend, with the lowest value appeared at 12:00. The diurnal variation of Pn and Tr correlated markedly with Gs, suggesting that Gs played an important role in regulating the diurnal variation of Pn and Tr.