Low light stress at tasseling threatens high-density maize production by impairing silk emergence

doi:10.1016/j.jia.2025.12.010

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Yarong Zhang, Jianhong Ren^#, Shanshan Liu, Xinru Zhang, Guangzhou Liu, Xiong Du^#, Yanhong Cui, Zhen Gao^#

State Key Laboratory of North China Crop Improvement and Regulation/Key Laboratory of Crop Growth Regulation of Hebei Province/College of Agronomy, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding 071001, China

Highlights

Shading during the maize tasseling stage caused significant yield loss, particularly under high planting densities.

Silk emergence was the primary determinant of kernel number under shading stress at tasseling.

Shading inhibited silk growth by impairing sugar metabolism and disrupting hormonal balance in the silks.

Abstract
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摘要

开花期弱光胁迫已成为密植玉米生产的限制因素。探究遮光与密度对玉米产量的协同效应对于提升玉米产能至关重要。为此本研究开展了为期 3 年的大田试验，以种植密度为主区，设置 3 个水平（4.5、6.75、9.0 株 /m²； D1、D2、D3），以光照条件为副区，设2个水平（遮阴S：从抽雄期开始连续 6 天遮阴（透光率 25%），正常光照CK），研究籽粒产量、光合速率、茎秆碳水化合物含量、花丝生长动态及蔗糖代谢与激素变化。结果表明，遮光导致的产量损失随密度增加而加剧。三年数据显示，与自然光照相比，遮阴使得D1、D2、D3密度下玉米平均减产57.9%、59.0%和84.2%。穗粒数减少是产量下降的主要原因。本研究显示造成果穗秃尖的原因是授粉失败而非受精后籽粒败育，即授粉失败导致穗粒数降低。遮阴未影响花粉活力，但显著减少了伸出苞叶的花丝数量，且在高密度下降幅更显著。穗粒数与伸出苞叶的花丝数目呈显著正线性相关（R²=0.94），随机森林分析进一步显示，伸出苞叶的花丝数目是影响玉米穗粒数的最关键因素。上述结果共同表明，抽雄期遮阴条件下，玉米花丝生长停滞决定了穗粒数。进一步分析发现，遮阴导致玉米碳亏缺，降低了花丝蔗糖含量，同时破坏了影响细胞分裂伸长的激素平衡，最终限制了花丝生长。本研究揭示了遮阴与种植密度协同导致玉米减产的关键机制，即花丝生长停滞决定最终穗粒数。在高密度、持续阴雨或其他胁迫导致的弱光条件下，调控花丝生长是保障玉米生产的关键。

Abstract

Low light stress during the flowering stage has become a limiting factor in high-density maize production. Understanding the combined effects of shading and planting density on maize yield is essential for improving productivity. A three-year field experiment was conducted using six consecutive days of shading (25% light transmittance) initiated at tasseling, under three planting densities (4.5, 6.75, and 9.0 plants m^-2; D1, D2, and D3). Grain yield, photosynthetic rate, stem carbohydrate availability, silk growth dynamics, and sucrose metabolism and hormonal changes in silks were measured. Results indicated that shading-induced yield penalties were more severe at higher planting densitiy. Compared with ambient light conditions, shading reduced maize yield by 57.9, 59.0, and 84.2% at D1, D2, and D3, respectively, across the three years. The reduction in kernel number per ear was the primary cause of yield decline. The occurrence of barren ear tips indicated ovary fertilization failure rather than post-fertilization grain abortion. Pollen viability remained unaffected by shading, whereas the number of silks emerging from the husk declined significantly, especially at higher densities. A strong positive linear correlation was observed between kernel number per ear and emerged silk count (R²=0.94). Furthermore, random forest analysis identified the number of emerged silks as the most influential factor affecting kernel set. These findings together indicated that silk growth arrest determined final kernel number under shading at tasseling. Further analysis revealed that shading induced carbon deficiency in maize, reducing sucrose content in silks. This disruption impaired hormone-mediated cell expansion and consequently limited silk growth. The mechanism of yield loss under the synergistic interaction of shading and planting density was thus elucidated, with silk growth arrest governing final kernel number. Paying attention to accelerating silk growth is critical for maize production under low light conditions caused by high planting density, continuous rainfall, or similar stresses.

Keywords: maize yield silks planting density hormones sucrose

Online: 08 December 2025

Fund:

This work was supported by the National Science Fund of China (32101829), the Natural Science Research Project of Higher Education in Hebei Province, China (BJK2022009), the Hebei Agriculture Research System, China (HBCT2023020203), the State Key Laboratory of North China Crop Improvement and Regulation (NCCIR2024ZZ–9), and the S&T Program of Hebei, China (23567601H).

About author: Yarong Zhang, E-mail: zyr15075310531@163.com; #Correspondence Zhen Gao, E-mail: gaozhenvision@163.com; Jianhong Ren, E-mail: ndrenjianhong@163.com; Xiong Du, E-mail: duxiong2002@163.com

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Yarong Zhang, Jianhong Ren, Shanshan Liu, Xinru Zhang, Guangzhou Liu, Xiong Du, Yanhong Cui, Zhen Gao. 2025. Low light stress at tasseling threatens high-density maize production by impairing silk emergence. Journal of Integrative Agriculture, Doi:10.1016/j.jia.2025.12.010

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