Adapting maize cultivation to late sowing: integrated strategies of planting density and hybrid maturity to ensure production

doi:10.1016/j.jia.2026.01.025

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Jing Chen, Lei Wang, Enbo Liu, Baizhao Ren, Bin Zhao, Peng Liu, Jiwang Zhang^#

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

Highlights

1 Post-silking GDD over 728℃ d enabled yield gains from raising planting density.

2 Raising density to 82500 plants ha⁻¹ mitigated yield losses in late-June sowing.

3 Early-maturing hybrids at low density reduced yield losses in early-July sowing.

Abstract
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摘要

气候变暖及降水时空分布不确定性的加剧，导致夏玉米播期延迟现象日益频发，严重威胁玉米稳产与机械化收获质量。本研究旨在通过优化种植密度与品种熟期配置，探索不同晚播情景下减轻产量损失、提升机械收获质量的调控途径及其作用机制。2022–2024年，在黄淮海平原设置田间试验，共设置3个播期（6月中旬、6月下旬、7月上旬）、3个种植密度（67500、82500和97500株/公顷）以及2个品种（早熟型和晚熟型）。结果表明，玉米生产对种植密度的响应主要受吐丝后有效积温调控。当吐丝后有效积温高于728℃·d时，增加密度至82500株/公顷可显著增加叶面积指数（17.0%）、冠层光能截获率（4.2%）和最大灌浆速率（15.5%），从而促进吐丝后干物质积累量提高8.6%，并将晚播导致的产量损失降低7.1%。选用早熟品种更有利于在维持产量的同时降低收获时籽粒含水量（7.2%）。2030s，6月下旬播种，上述优化措施可适用于黄淮海平原94.6%以上的区域。然而，当吐丝后有效积温低于685℃·d时，积温不足显著抑制个体与群体水平上的玉米生长，导致产量损失达41.5%，籽粒含水量增加53.8%。7月上旬播种，约87%的区域无法通过增加密度弥补产量损失。在此条件下，采用较低密度配合早熟品种更有利于减轻产量损失、降低收获时籽粒含水量，尤其在33.7°N以北区域。本研究结果为气候变暖与降水不确定性增加背景下缓解晚播造成的产量损失提供了理论依据与调控策略。

Abstract

Climate warming and the increasing unpredictability of precipitation have led to frequent sowing delays for summer maize, severely affecting maize production. This study aimed to identify strategies to minimize yield losses and enhance mechanical harvest quality under various late-sowing scenarios by optimizing planting density and hybrid maturity, along with understanding the underlying mechanisms. A field experiment was conducted from 2022 to 2024 in the Huanghuaihai Plain (HHHP), China, involving three sowing dates (mid-June, late-June and early-July), three planting densities (67,500, 82,500 and 9,7500 plants ha⁻¹), and two hybrid types (early-maturing and late-maturing). The results showed that maize production’s response to planting density was governed by post-silking growing degree days (GDD). When post-silking GDD exceeded 728℃ d, increasing planting density to 82,500 plants ha⁻¹ significantly enhanced leaf area index (17.0%), canopy radiation interception (4.2%) and maximum grain filling rate (15.5%), thereby increasing post-silking dry matter accumulation by 8.6% and mitigating yield losses from delayed sowing by 7.1%. Planting early-maturing hybrids was more conducive to reducing harvest grain moisture by 7.2% while maintaining yield. These optimized practices are applicable to over 94.6% of regions in HHHP under late-June sowing scenarios in the 2030s. Conversely, when post-silking GDD was below 685℃ d, insufficient GDD significantly inhibited maize growth at both individual and population levels, resulting in 41.5% yield losses and a 53.8% increase in grain moisture. About 87% of regions cannot compensate for yield losses by increasing planting density. Under these conditions, planting early-maturing hybrids at lower densitiesproved more advantageous for minimizing yield loss and grain moisture at harvest, especially north of 33.7°N. These findings provide a theoretical basis for strategies to reduce yield loss from late sowing under climate warming and unpredictable rainfall.

Keywords: late-sown maize planting density hybrid maturity yield harvest grain moisture

Online: 16 January 2026

Fund:

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (32172115) and the National Modern Agriculture Industry Technology System (CARS-02-21).

About author: #Correspondence Jiwang Zhang, Tel: +86-538-8241485, Fax: +86-538 8242226, E-mail: jwzhang@sdau.edu.cn

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Jing Chen, Lei Wang, Enbo Liu, Baizhao Ren, Bin Zhao, Peng Liu, Jiwang Zhang. 2026. Adapting maize cultivation to late sowing: integrated strategies of planting density and hybrid maturity to ensure production. Journal of Integrative Agriculture, Doi:10.1016/j.jia.2026.01.025

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