Effects of mulching and maize cultivars on grain yield and photosynthetic characteristics in the Loess Plateau

2020 ◽  
Vol 112 (5) ◽  
pp. 3629-3643
Author(s):  
Xiukang Wang ◽  
Meitian Li ◽  
Xiaoli Niu ◽  
Wenting Jiang ◽  
Wei Qin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Grain Yield ◽  
Loess Plateau ◽  
Photosynthetic Characteristics ◽  
The Loess Plateau ◽  
Maize Cultivars

Exploring options for improving maize productivity for small farmers in the Loess Plateau

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiukang Wang ◽  
Yaguang Gao ◽  
Yingying Xing
Keyword(s):  
Soil Temperature ◽  
Grain Yield ◽  
Loess Plateau ◽  
Photosynthetic Characteristics ◽  
Shaanxi Province ◽  
Small Farmers ◽  
Check Dam ◽  
The Loess Plateau ◽  
Plastic Mulch ◽  
Maize Cultivar

<p>Millions of small farmers rely on maize (Zea mays L.) produced in the Loess Plateau of China. However, little has been reported on the effects of plastic mulch and maize cultivar on crop yield in the check dam environment. The objectives of this experiment were to determine the effects of maize cultivar and plastic mulch on photosynthetic characteristics and grain yield when grown in the check dam environment. Three maize cultivars were assessed with and without plastic mulch in 2016 and 2017 in Ansai County, Shaanxi Province, China. Results showed that mulch increased grain yield by 10.5% in 2016 and 11.3% in 2017 across all cultivars. Among all cultivars, ‘Xianyu335’ had the highest grain yield under both mulch and no mulch. Grain yield was significantly correlated with soil water content in the 0-20 cm layer. Soil temperature under mulch decreased with increasing soil depth. Averaged over soil depths, mulch increased soil temperature from 0.2 to 1.9 °C over the entire growing season. Maize cultivar directly determined photosynthetic characteristics. Grain yield was more closely related to photosynthetic rate in July than in August, and was significantly associated with stomatal conductance and transpiration rate. Our findings suggest that photosynthetic characteristics is an important index affecting maize grain yield for small farmers using check dams in the Loess Plateau.</p>

scholarly journals Nitrogen Supply Affects Grain Yield by Regulating Antioxidant Enzyme Activity and Photosynthetic Capacity of Maize Plant in the Loess Plateau

Agronomy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 1094
Author(s):  
Kai Yue ◽  
Lingling Li ◽  
Junhong Xie ◽  
Setor Kwami Fudjoe ◽  
Renzhi Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Grain Yield ◽  
Antioxidant Enzyme ◽  
Loess Plateau ◽  
Photosynthetic Capacity ◽  
Growth And Yield ◽  
Dry Matter Accumulation ◽  
The Loess Plateau ◽  
Area Index ◽  
Leaf Stage ◽  
Significant Difference

Nitrogen (N) is the most limiting nutrient for maize, and appropriate N fertilization can promote maize growth and yield. The effect of N fertilizer rates and timings on morphology, antioxidant enzymes, and grain yield of maize (Zea mays L.) in the Loess Plateau of China was evaluated. The four N levels, i.e., 0 (N0), 100 (N1), 200 (N2), and 300 (N3) kg ha−1, were applied at two timings (T1, one-third N at sowing and two-thirds at the six-leaf stage of maize; T2, one-third applied at sowing, six-leaf stage, and eleven-leaf stage of maize). The results show that N2 and N3 significantly increased the plant height, stem and leaf dry weight, and leaf area index of maize compared with a non-N-fertilized control (N0). The net photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate, stomatal conductance, and leaf chlorophyll contents were lower, while the intercellular carbon dioxide concentration was higher for non-fertilized plants compared to fertilized plants. The activities of peroxidase (POD) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) increased with N rate, but the difference between 200 and 300 kg ha−1 was not significant; further, the isozyme bands of POD and SOD also changed with their activities. Compared with a non-N-fertilized control, N2 and N3 significantly increased grain yield by 2.76- and 3.11-fold in 2018, 2.74- and 2.80-fold in 2019, and 2.71- and 2.89-fold in 2020, and there was no significant difference between N2 and N3. N application timing only affected yield in 2018. In conclusion, 200 kg N ha−1 application increased yield through optimizing the antioxidant enzyme system, increasing photosynthetic capacity, and promoting dry matter accumulation. Further research is necessary to evaluate the response of more cultivars under more seasons to validate the results obtained.

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