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Publishing Language: Chinese

Effects of Plant Type Improvement on Root-Canopy Characteristics and Grain Yield of Spring Maize Under High Density Condition

Yao ZHAO1, Qian CHENG1,2, TianJun XU3, Zheng LIU1, RongHuan WANG3, JiuRan ZHAO3, DaLei LU2( ), CongFeng LI1( )
Institute of Crop Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences/Key Laboratory of Crop Physiology and Ecology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Beijing 100081
Agricultural College of Yangzhou University/Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Physiology, Yangzhou 225009, Jiangsu
Maize Research Center, Beijing Academy of Agriculture & Forestry Sciences/Beijing Key Laboratory of Maize DNA Fingerprinting and Molecular Breeding, Beijing 100097
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Abstract

【Objective】

Increasing planting density is a key agronomic strategy to enhance maize yield; however, excessive density may result in an imbalanced population structure, reduced utilization efficiency of limited resources (e.g., light), and suppressed yield potential. Gene editing can optimize canopy architecture through targeted improvement of maize plant type, thereby enhancing adaptability to high-density planting and boosting yield. Elucidating the effects of plant type improvement on root-shoot characteristics, grain yield, and density response in spring maize, as well as the underlying mechanisms, will provide theoretical and technical foundations for optimizing plant type and achieving high-yield dense planting in spring maize.

【Method】

The field experiment was conducted at Gongzhuling farm in Jilin, China. In this study, two maize hybrids, includding Jingke 968 and the improved plant types Jingke Y968, were grown with 60 000 plants/hm2 (D1), 75 000 plants/hm2 (D2) and 90 000 plants/hm2 (D3) in 2019 and 2020, respectively. The effects of two plant types of spring maize of the same genetic background on the root-canopy characteristics and yield of spring maize were studied.

【Result】

Under normal density conditions (D1), there were no significant differences in leaf area index (LAI), net photosynthetic rate (Pn), PAR utilization (PUE), dry matter accumulation and grain yield between the two different plant types spring maize cultivars. However, compared with Jingke 968, under D3 conditions, the improved plant type Jingke Y968 had a relatively high number of main roots (7.2%) and a relatively large weight of root dry matter (6.0%), which promoted the absorption of nutrients; furthermore, under D2 and D3 conditions, Jingke Y968 significantly improved the canopy structure of maize, so that the upper, middle and lower parts had relatively low leaf angles, higher leaf orientation and LAI, and the excellent canopy structure increased the Pn of mid-to-late ear leaves of (7.5% (D2) and 7.7% (D3)) and PUE (4.3% (D2) and 10.8% (D3)). The structural equation results showed that higher leaf direction values and LAI could positively and directly increase the accumulation of dry matter in the aboveground, thereby increasing grain yield (8.7% (D2) and 11.2% (D3)).

【Conclusion】

In summary, the improvement of plant type enabled Jingke Y968 to have higher main root number and larger root dry matter weight under high-density conditions, which was conducive to nutrient absorption in the underground part. Meanwhile, its leaves were more compact, Pn was significantly increased, PUE was effectively improved, and root-canopy characteristics were more reasonable, which promoted dry matter accumulation in the above-ground part. Thus, the relatively high grain yield could be obtained.

Keywords

spring maizeplanting densityplant type improvementroot characteristicscanopy structure

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Scientia Agricultura Sinica
Volume 58 Issue 7,
April 2025
Pages 1296-1310
DOI: 10.3864/j.issn.0578-1752.2025.07.004
Cite this article:
ZHAO Y, CHENG Q, XU T, et al. Effects of Plant Type Improvement on Root-Canopy Characteristics and Grain Yield of Spring Maize Under High Density Condition. Scientia Agricultura Sinica, 2025, 58(7): 1296-1310. https://doi.org/10.3864/j.issn.0578-1752.2025.07.004

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Received: 08 August 2024
Accepted: 05 December 2024
Published: 01 April 2025
© 2025 The Journal of Scientia Agricultura Sinica
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