Maize Yield Components as Affected by Plant Population, Planting Date and Soil Coverings in Brazil

Gustavo Castilho Beruski, Luis Miguel Schiebelbein and André Belmont Pereira
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Gustavo Castilho Beruski: Department of Biosystems Engineering, ESALQ/University of São Paulo, 11 Pádua Dias Ave., Mail Box 9, Piracicaba, SP 13635-900, Brazil
Luis Miguel Schiebelbein: Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Engineering, State University of Ponta Grossa, 4748 Carlos Cavalcanti Ave., Uvaranas, Ponta Grossa, PR 84030-900, Brazil
André Belmont Pereira: Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Engineering, State University of Ponta Grossa, 4748 Carlos Cavalcanti Ave., Uvaranas, Ponta Grossa, PR 84030-900, Brazil

Agriculture, 2020, vol. 10, issue 12, 1-20

Abstract: The potential yield of annual crops is affected by management practices and water and energy availabilities throughout the crop season. The current work aimed to assess the effects of plant population, planting dates and soil covering on yield components of maize. Field experiments were carried out during the 2014–2015 and 2015–2016 growing seasons at areas grown with oat straw, voluntary plants and bare soil, considering five plant populations (40,000, 60,000, 80,000, 100,000 and 120,000 plants ha −1 ) and three sowing dates (15 September, 30 October and 15 December) for the hybrid P30F53YH in Ponta Grossa, State of Paraná, Brazil. Non-impacts of soil covering or plant population on plant height at the flowering phenological stage were observed. Significant effects of soil covering on yield components and final yield responses throughout the 2014–2015 season were detected. An influence of plant populations on yield components was evidenced, suggesting that, from 80,000 plants ha −1 , the P30F53YH hybrid performs a compensatory effect among assessed yield components in such a way as to not compromise productivity insofar as the plant population increases up to 120,000 plants ha −1 . It was noticed, a positive trend of yield components and crop final yield as a function of plant density increments.

Keywords: Zea mays L.; cropping system; sowing date; maize yield; multivariate analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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