TY - JOUR
T1 - How does increasing planting density regulate biomass production, allocation, and remobilization of maize temporally and spatially
T2 - A global meta-analysis
AU - Shao, Hui
AU - Wu, Xuebing
AU - Duan, Jiahui
AU - Zhu, Fengbo
AU - Chi, Haihang
AU - Liu, Junhui
AU - Shi, Wenjun
AU - Xu, Yi
AU - Wei, Zhibiao
AU - Mi, Guohua
PY - 2024/7/1
Y1 - 2024/7/1
N2 - Context: Increasing maize planting density is a major agronomic practice to enhance population grain yield, however, canopy shadowing at high density limits plant growth and per-plant grain yield. Dry mass (DM) accumulation, allocation, and remobilization are crucial factors determining grain yield. However, there is limited understanding regarding these processes in response to increasing planting density. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate how planting density affects DM accumulation, allocation, and remobilization, as affected by plant architecture, nitrogen (N) rates, N fertilization frequency, and water management. Methods: A meta-analysis was conducted, involving 2363 observations from 253 peer-reviewed studies. Results: Globally, population grain yield increased by 11.2 %, which was attributable to increases in a population pre-silking DM (PrS-DM) accumulation of 22.9 % and remobilization efficiency of 12.6 %. Temporally, under a high planting density, per plant DM production showed a decrease (8.3–16.0 %) during the pre-silking stage, but a greater reduction (24.0–25.4 %) during the post-silking stage. DM allocation to roots was greatly reduced, with a decline of 22.1–25.1 % in the root-to-shoot ratio (R/S), and a dropping rate of 5.2 % in harvest index (HI). Compact plant architecture showed a 12.2 % increase in grain yield and a reduction of 3.4 % in HI. Appropriate N rates coupled with splitting-N applications showed an increase in grain yield (up to 13.9 %) and PrS-DM (up to 27.1 %), but a decline in post-silking DM (PoS-DM) (up to 9.7 %) and HI (up to 9.0 %). Efficient water management, i.e., fertigation increased the grain yield (up to 16.9 %). Conclusion: Increasing planting density increases grain yield mainly by efficiently utilizing light resources during the vegetative stage to increase population PrS-DM production and its remobilization to grain. In addition, less biomass is allocated to the root so that more assimilation is used for shoot growth. Implications: Field management practices and breeding efforts should focus on facilitating early plant growth to increase population PrS-DM accumulation and developing sound root systems to increase efficiency and canopy-lodging resistance.
AB - Context: Increasing maize planting density is a major agronomic practice to enhance population grain yield, however, canopy shadowing at high density limits plant growth and per-plant grain yield. Dry mass (DM) accumulation, allocation, and remobilization are crucial factors determining grain yield. However, there is limited understanding regarding these processes in response to increasing planting density. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate how planting density affects DM accumulation, allocation, and remobilization, as affected by plant architecture, nitrogen (N) rates, N fertilization frequency, and water management. Methods: A meta-analysis was conducted, involving 2363 observations from 253 peer-reviewed studies. Results: Globally, population grain yield increased by 11.2 %, which was attributable to increases in a population pre-silking DM (PrS-DM) accumulation of 22.9 % and remobilization efficiency of 12.6 %. Temporally, under a high planting density, per plant DM production showed a decrease (8.3–16.0 %) during the pre-silking stage, but a greater reduction (24.0–25.4 %) during the post-silking stage. DM allocation to roots was greatly reduced, with a decline of 22.1–25.1 % in the root-to-shoot ratio (R/S), and a dropping rate of 5.2 % in harvest index (HI). Compact plant architecture showed a 12.2 % increase in grain yield and a reduction of 3.4 % in HI. Appropriate N rates coupled with splitting-N applications showed an increase in grain yield (up to 13.9 %) and PrS-DM (up to 27.1 %), but a decline in post-silking DM (PoS-DM) (up to 9.7 %) and HI (up to 9.0 %). Efficient water management, i.e., fertigation increased the grain yield (up to 16.9 %). Conclusion: Increasing planting density increases grain yield mainly by efficiently utilizing light resources during the vegetative stage to increase population PrS-DM production and its remobilization to grain. In addition, less biomass is allocated to the root so that more assimilation is used for shoot growth. Implications: Field management practices and breeding efforts should focus on facilitating early plant growth to increase population PrS-DM accumulation and developing sound root systems to increase efficiency and canopy-lodging resistance.
KW - Biomass accumulation
KW - Biomass allocation
KW - Biomass remobilization
KW - Maize
KW - Plant density
U2 - 10.1016/j.fcr.2024.109430
DO - 10.1016/j.fcr.2024.109430
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85195429364
SN - 0378-4290
VL - 315
JO - Field Crops Research
JF - Field Crops Research
M1 - 109430
ER -