Radiation use efficiency of maize under high-density optimal growth conditions in Jilin Province, China

doi:10.1016/j.jia.2025.04.016

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E Li¹, Zhijuan Liu¹^#, Xiaomao Lin², Tao Li³, Dengyu Shi¹, Huazhe Shang⁴, Suliang Qiao¹, Guangxin Zhu¹, Wanrong Yang¹, Zhenzhen Fu¹, Jingjin Gong¹, Wanghua Yang¹, Zhenkang Yang¹, Xiaomeng Lu¹, Jingjing Wang¹, Lexuan Wang¹, Jin Zhao¹, Chuang Zhao¹, Xiaoguang Yang¹

¹College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, 2 Yuanmingyuan West Rd., Haidian District, Beijing 100193, China

²Department of Agronomy, Kansas State University, 2108 Throckmorton Plant Sciences Center, Manhattan, Kansas 66506, USA

³International Rice Research Institute, Los Baños 4031, Philippines

⁴State Key Laboratory of Remote Sensing and Digital Earth, Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China

Highlights:

1. During the entire growth period, maize radiation use efficiency (RUE) averaged 5.71 g MJ^-1 APAR (absorbed photosynthetically active radiation) under high-density optimal growth conditions.

2. Within the vegetative and reproductive growth periods, maize RUE averaged 6.85 and 5.64 g MJ^-1 APAR, respectively.

3. RUE, 5.07-5.85 g MJ^-1 APAR, should be used to derive the optimal potential yield in maize simulation model.

Abstract
References

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摘要

准确测定玉米的辐射利用效率（RUE）对评估气候变化对玉米生产的影响至关重要。本研究选取了我国吉林省三个玉米品种：郑单958（ZD958）、先玉335（XY335）和良玉99（LY99），在高密度（9 株/m²）的最优种植条件下，对玉米在营养生长期、生殖生长期及整个生育期的辐射利用效率进行研究。结果表明，玉米群体光截获量在开花期达到峰值，开花后玉米植株生物量持续积累。基于吸收光合有效辐射（APAR），计算了玉米不同品种不同阶段的RUE。从整个生育期来看，三个玉米品种的RUE平均为5.71 g MJ^-1 APAR，三个品种由高到低依次为ZD958（5.85 g MJ^-1 APAR）>XY335（5.64 g MJ^-1 APAR）>LY99（5.07 g MJ^-1 APAR）。三个玉米品种营养生长期和生殖生长期平均RUE平均为6.85 g MJ^-1 APAR和5.64 g MJ^-1 APAR。以APSIM为代表的基于RUE的作物模型预测玉米地上部生物量积累时，RUE值（3.6 g MJ^-1 APAR）显著低于在高密最优种植条件下测得的值。因此，为准确估算此类种植条件下玉米的潜在产量，建议将RUE调整至5.07-5.85 g MJ^-1 APAR。

Abstract

To evaluate the impact of climate change on maize production, it is critical to accurately measure the radiation use efficiency (RUE) for maize. In this study, we focused on three maize cultivars in Jilin Province, China: Zhengdan 958 (ZD958), Xianyu 335 (XY335), and Liangyu 99 (LY99). Under the optimal growing conditions for high density (9 plants m^-2), we investigated the maize RUE during the vegetative and reproductive phases, and the entire growth period. The results showed that the canopy light interception for maize peaked during anthesis. After anthesis, maize plant biomass continued to accumulate. Based on the absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (APAR), we calculated maize RUE. During the entire growth period, maize RUE averaged 5.71 g MJ^-1 APAR among the three cultivars, with a high-to-low order of ZD958 (5.85 g MJ^-1 APAR)>XY335 (5.64 g MJ^-1 APAR)>LY99 (5.07 g MJ^-1 APAR). Within the vegetative and reproductive growth periods, maize RUE averaged 6.85 and 5.64 g MJ^-1 APAR, respectively. When utilizing maize models, such as APSIM, that depend on radiation use efficiency (RUE) to predict aboveground biomass accumulation, we observed that the current RUE value of 3.6 g MJ^-1 APAR is considerably lower than the measured value obtained under high-density optimal growing conditions. Consequently, to derive the optimal potential yield for maize in such planting conditions, we recommend adjusting the RUE to a range of 5.07-5.85 g MJ^-1 APAR.

Keywords: RUE absorbed PAR maize cultivars growth period high density

Received: 09 October 2024 Online: 18 April 2025

Fund:

This work was supported by the National Science and Technology Major Project, China (2022ZD0119503), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (42175190), and the 2115 Talent Development Program of China Agricultural University.

About author: #Correspondence Zhijuan Liu, E-mail: zhijuanliu@cau.edu.cn

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E Li, Zhijuan Liu, Xiaomao Lin, Tao Li, Dengyu Shi, Huazhe Shang, Suliang Qiao, Guangxin Zhu, Wanrong Yang, Zhenzhen Fu, Jingjin Gong, Wanghua Yang, Zhenkang Yang, Xiaomeng Lu, Jingjing Wang, Lexuan Wang, Jin Zhao, Chuang Zhao, Xiaoguang Yang. 2025. Radiation use efficiency of maize under high-density optimal growth conditions in Jilin Province, China. Journal of Integrative Agriculture, Doi:10.1016/j.jia.2025.04.016

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