Inter- and Mixed Cropping of Different Varieties Improves High-Temperature Tolerance during Flowering of Summer Maize

Shuyan Li, Junfang Zhao, Junling Li, Ruixin Shao, Hongping Li, Wensong Fang, Liting Hu and Tianxue Liu
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Shuyan Li: China Meteorological Administration, Henan Key Laboratory of Agrometeorological Support and Applied Technique, Zhengzhou 450003, China
Junfang Zhao: State Key Laboratory of Severe Weather, Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
Junling Li: China Meteorological Administration, Henan Key Laboratory of Agrometeorological Support and Applied Technique, Zhengzhou 450003, China
Ruixin Shao: College of Agronomy, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China
Hongping Li: College of Agronomy, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China
Wensong Fang: China Meteorological Administration, Henan Key Laboratory of Agrometeorological Support and Applied Technique, Zhengzhou 450003, China
Liting Hu: China Meteorological Administration, Henan Key Laboratory of Agrometeorological Support and Applied Technique, Zhengzhou 450003, China
Tianxue Liu: College of Agronomy, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 12, 1-16

Abstract: Global warming increases the risk of high-temperature injury to maize. Inter- and mixed-cropping of maize varieties with different genotypes is one way to effectively alleviate the high-temperature injury during the flowering period. However, the mitigation effect of different varieties and intercropping modes on high-temperature injury is still unclear. Based on previous years of field production, Denghai 605, which is more sensitive to high temperatures during the flowering period, was determined as the main test variety, and Zhengdan 958, Dedan 5, Weike 702, and Xianyu 335, which have great genotypic differences, were used as auxiliary varieties. The main test varieties and auxiliary varieties were intercropped and mixed cropped, respectively. Plant height, ear height, leaf area index, population light transmittance, ear characteristics, and yield were measured, and the land equivalent ratio (LER) was calculated. The plant height of Denghai 605 intercropped with Zhengdan 958 and Dedan 5 and mixed with Weike 702 and Xianyu 335 decreased significantly. The population light transmittance of the bottom or middle layer in Denghai 605 increased significantly when intercropped with other varieties. The grain number per ear increased significantly under inter- and mixed cropping with Zhengdan 958 and Weike 702. Except under intercropping with Dedan 5, the yield of Denghai 605 increased significantly, by 8.8–28.0%, under inter- and mixed cropping. Under intercropping with Zhengdan 958 and inter- and mixed cropping with Weike 702 and Xianyu 335, respectively, the group land equivalent ratio was greater than 1.1, indicating that under the combination of these varieties, inter- and mixed cropping effectively reduced the impact of high temperatures during flowering.

Keywords: summer maize; inter- and mixed cropping; high temperature; flowering period; yield (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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