Effect Mechanism of Solar Radiation on Maize Yield Formation

Yunshan Yang, Guangzhou Liu, Xiaoxia Guo, Wanmao Liu, Jun Xue, Bo Ming, Ruizhi Xie, Keru Wang, Shaokun Li () and Peng Hou ()
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Yunshan Yang: Key Laboratory of Crop Physiology and Ecology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
Guangzhou Liu: Key Laboratory of Crop Physiology and Ecology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
Xiaoxia Guo: The Key Laboratory of Oasis Eco-Agriculture, Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, College of Agronomy, Shihezi University, Shihezi 832003, China
Wanmao Liu: College of Agronomy, Ningxia University, Yinchuan 750021, China
Jun Xue: Key Laboratory of Crop Physiology and Ecology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
Bo Ming: Key Laboratory of Crop Physiology and Ecology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
Ruizhi Xie: Key Laboratory of Crop Physiology and Ecology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
Keru Wang: Key Laboratory of Crop Physiology and Ecology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
Shaokun Li: The Key Laboratory of Oasis Eco-Agriculture, Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, College of Agronomy, Shihezi University, Shihezi 832003, China
Peng Hou: Key Laboratory of Crop Physiology and Ecology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China

Agriculture, 2022, vol. 12, issue 12, 1-13

Abstract: Solar dimming due to global climate change is becoming increasingly more common in some agricultural areas. Such low-light stress inhibits maize ear number, kernel number per unit area (KN), and kernel weight (KW) as vital yield components. However, which yield component factors are most important for yield formation under low-light stress remains unknown. In this study at Qitai Farm in Xinjiang, China, in 2019 and 2020, we planted three maize ( Zea mays L.) cultivars (Denghai 618 (DH618), Xianyu 335 (XY335), and Zhengdan 958 (ZD958)) at two densities (7.5 × 10 4 (D1) and 12 × 10 4 (D2) plants ha −1 ). We used four shading treatments (85% (S1), 70% (S2), and 50% (S3) natural light and no shading (CK)) from the three-leaf stage until maturity to create different light conditions. KN was the key factor that directly affected yield under low-light stress. For every 100 MJ m −2 decrease in photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), the KN decreased by 803.2 kernels per m 2 . When the PAR was >674.3 MJ m −2 , KW tended to stabilize at 36.2 g/hundred kernels and the growth rate was 5.82 g/100 MJ m −2 per hundred kernels. DH618 and XY335 KNs were more sensitive to lowered solar radiation than ZD958. When density increased, DH618 required fewer light resources than the other cultivars to produce an equivalent amount of photosynthates for kernels. Therefore, in the face of climate change, particularly solar dimming, there is an urgent need to breed maize cultivars, such as DH618, with low-light stress tolerance and high grain yield.

Keywords: maize cultivar; solar radiation; planting density; quantitative relationship; yield components (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: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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