Optimizing plant morphology to enhance canopy light distribution improves lodging resistance and grain yield in densely planted maize

doi:10.1016/j.jia.2025.03.012

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Jiyu Zhao^*, Wenjie Geng^*, Yuqi Xue^*, Sher Alam, Peng Liu, Bin Zhao, Baizhao Ren, Jiwang Zhang^#

College of Agronomy, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an 271018, China

Highlights

1. Optimizing plant types can enhance light distribution and increase grain yield under dense planting.

2. Dense planting increased lodging risk by affecting the composition of DM and anatomical structure

3. DH605 showed increased lodging resistance and grain yield with improved light distribution.

Abstract
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摘要

在现代农业中，通过“智慧株型”提高玉米产量的机制是研究的重点。然而，关于密植玉米产量稳定性的问题，尤其是抗倒伏能力方面的研究相对不足。为此，我们开展了为期三年的大田试验，选取了三个玉米品种（XD20、DH618和DH605）并设置三个种植密度处理（6.0×10⁴、7.5×10⁴和9.0×10⁴株 hm^-2），旨在探究不同种植密度对不同植株形态的夏玉米品种抗倒伏能力和产量的影响。研究结果表明，随着种植密度的增加，DH605的产量显著提升，而XD20和DH618的产量则呈现出先上升后趋于稳定的变化趋势。与低密度处理相比，高密度处理下夏玉米的株高和重心高度显著增加，同时底部和穗位层的透光率显著降低，基部节间的机械强度下降，倒伏风险增加，尤其是XD20。DH605通过改善穗位层和底层的光照分布以及优化基部节间特性，提高了机械强度。最终，DH605-H的籽粒产量比XD20-H处理显著增加了10.68%-34.11%，同时倒伏率降低了72.66%-92.29%。基部节间纤维素含量和外层维管束总面积是抗倒伏的关键因素，解释了机械强度变异的61.70%。因此，增加种植密度虽能显著提高玉米产量，但也会增加倒伏的风险；优化植株形态能够改善群体光照分布、基部节间的干物质组成和解剖结构，从而提高密植玉米的抗倒伏能力和籽粒产量。

Abstract

Research on the yield-enhancing mechanisms of maize through ‘smart’ plant morphology under dense planting conditions is a critical focus in modern agriculture. However, the issue of yield stability in dense-planted maize, particularly regarding lodging resistance, remains insufficiently examined in the academic literature. A three-year field experiment was conducted using three hybrids (XD20, DH618 and DH605) and three plant density treatments (6.0×10⁴, 7.5×10⁴, and 9.0×10⁴ plants ha^-1) to investigate the effects of planting density on lodging resistance and yield of summer maize hybrids with different plant morphologies. According to the results, increasing planting density significantly boosted the yield of DH605, while the yields of XD20 and DH618 exhibited an initial increase followed by stabilization. Compared to the low-density (L) treatment, the height parameters and center of gravity of summer maize under the high-density (H) treatment were significantly elevated. This was accompanied by a pronounced reduction in light transmittance within the bottom and ear layers, a decrease in the mechanical strength of basal internodes, and an increased risk of lodging, particularly for the XD20 hybrid. DH605 improved mechanical strength by enhancing the light distribution within the ear and bottom layers, and by optimizing basal internode characteristics. Ultimately, the grain yield under the DH605-H treatment increased by 10.68 to 34.11% relative to XD20-H, with a concurrent reduction in lodging rates ranging from 72.66 to 92.29%. Cellulose content within basal internodes and the total area of vascular bundles in the outer layer were key factors, explaining 61.70% of mechanical strength variance. Therefore, high planting density significantly increased yield but also lodging susceptibility. Optimizing plant morphology improved canopy light distribution, dry matter composition and anatomical structure of basal internodes, enhancing lodging resistance and grain yield in densely planted maize.

Keywords: maize planting density plant morphology canopy light distribution lodging resistance

Received: 25 December 2024 Online: 21 March 2025

Fund:

This study was supported by Agricultural Biological Breeding Key Projects, China (2023ZD0402807), National Major Science and Technology Projects of Agricultural of China (FSNK202218080314), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (32172115), China Agriculture Research System of MOF and MARA (CARS-02-21).

About author: #Correspondence Jiwang Zhang, Tel: +86-0538-8241485, E-mail: jwzhang@sdau.edu.cn *indicates the authors who contributed equally to this study.

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Jiyu Zhao, Wenjie Geng, Yuqi Xue, Sher Alam, Peng Liu, Bin Zhao, Baizhao Ren, Jiwang Zhang. 2025. Optimizing plant morphology to enhance canopy light distribution improves lodging resistance and grain yield in densely planted maize. Journal of Integrative Agriculture, Doi:10.1016/j.jia.2025.03.012

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