Matching the light and nitrogen distributions in the maize canopy to achieve high yield and high radiation use efficiency

doi:10.1016/j.jia.2023.12.025

Journal of Integrative Agriculture

2025, Vol. 24

Issue (4): 1424-1435 DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2023.12.025

Crop Science

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Matching the light and nitrogen distributions in the maize canopy to achieve high yield and high radiation use efficiency

Xiaoxia Guo^{1, 2*}, Wanmao Liu^3*, Yunshan Yang¹, Guangzhou Liu², Bo Ming², Ruizhi Xie², Keru Wang², Shaokun Li^{1, 2#}, Peng Hou^2#

¹Key Laboratory of Oasis Eco-Agriculture, Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps/College of Agronomy, Shihezi University, Shihezi 832000, China

²Key Laboratory of Crop Physiology and Ecology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs/Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China

³School of Agriculture, Ningxia University, Yinchuan 750021, China

Highlights
● There was a corresponding relationship between the light and nitrogen distribution in maize canopy, which was closely related to cumulative leaf area index.
● Light-nitrogen matching coefficients (K_N/K_L) was important for maize yield improvement.
● Cultivar with high light-nitrogen matching coefficients had higher grain yield.

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摘要

作物冠层中光和氮的分布是作物对生长环境的适应，有利于提高作物的碳同化能力。那么在不增加额外投入的情况下，是否可以通过改善光氮分布提高作物产量？本研究通过2019年和2020年在奇台进行的田间试验，研究了不同供氮水平和种植密度对两个高产玉米品种（XY335和DH618）冠层光照和氮素分布的影响，以及冠层生理特性对RUE和产量的调节。结果表明，玉米冠层中光（PPDF）分布自上而下一直减少，而比叶氮（SLN）的分布自上而下先增加后减少。当SLN达到最大值时XY335和DH618的PPDF分别为0.5和0.3，对应在总叶面积（LAI）40.6%和49.3%的位置。K_N（消氮系数）/K_L（消光系数）可以反映作物光氮协同匹配的能力，XY335中下部冠层的K_N/K_L（0.32）比DH618（0.24）高0.08。XY335（17.2 t ha^-1，1.8 g MJ^-1）的产量和RUE分别比DH618（16.1 t ha^-1、1.6 g MJ^-1）高7% (1.1 t ha^-1) and 13.7% (0.2 g MJ^-1)。因此，当上部和中部冠层中LAI的比例较小时，可以改善群体光照分布，从而有助于调动氮分布，保持较高的K_N和K_N/ K_L。高种植密度条件下，当玉米养分需求被满足时（N360），K_N/K_L是反映玉米群体光氮协同匹配与产量和光氮效率协同提升的关键参数。该研究对今后玉米高产高效栽培及育种具有重要借鉴意义。

Abstract

The distributions of light and nitrogen within a plant’s canopy reflect the growth adaptation of crops to the environment and are conducive to improving the carbon assimilation ability. So can the yield in crop production be maximized by improving the light and nitrogen distributions without adding any additional inputs? In this study, the effects of different nitrogen application rates and planting densities on the canopy light and nitrogen distributions of two high-yielding maize cultivars (XY335 and DH618) and the regulatory effects of canopy physiological characteristics on radiation use efficiency (RUE) and yield were studied based on high-yield field experiments in Qitai, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China, during 2019 and 2020. The results showed that the distribution of photosynthetically active photon flux density (PPFD) in the maize canopy decreased from top to bottom, while the vertical distribution of specific leaf nitrogen (SLN) initially increased and then decreased from top to bottom in the canopy. When SLN began to decrease, the PPDF values of XY335 and DH618 were 0.5 and 0.3, respectively, corresponding to 40.6 and 49.3% of the total leaf area index (LAI). Nitrogen extinction coefficient (K_N)/light extinction coefficient (K_L) ratio in the middle and lower canopy of XY335 (0.32) was 0.08 higher than that of DH618 (0.24). The yield and RUE of XY335 (17.2 t ha^–1 and 1.8g MJ^–1) were 7.0% (1.1 t ha^–1) and 13.7% (0.2 g MJ^–1) higher than those of DH618 (16.1 t ha^–1 and 1.6 g MJ^–1). Therefore, better light conditions (where the proportion of LAI in the upper and middle canopy was small) improved the light distribution when SLN started to decline, thus helping to mobilize the nitrogen distribution and maintain a high K_N and K_N/K_L ratio. In addition, K_N/K_L was a key parameter for yield improvement when the maize nutrient requirements were met at 360 kg N ha^–1. At this level, an appropriately optimized high planting density could promote nitrogen utilization and produce higher yields and greater efficiency. The results of this study will be important for achieving high maize yields and the high efficiency cultivation and breeding of maize in the future.

Keywords: maize canopy N distribution canopy light distribution radiation use efficiency

Received: 14 August 2023 Accepted: 17 November 2023

Fund: This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (32172118), the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2016YFD0300110 and 2016YFD0300101), the Basic Scientific Research Fund of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, China (S2022ZD05), and the Agricultural Science and Technology Innovation Program, China (CAAS-ZDRW202004).

About author: Xiaoxia Guo, E-mail: Gguoxiaoxia@163.com; Wanmao Liu, E-mail: Liuwm@nxu.edu.cn; #Correspondence Shaokun Li, Tel/Fax: +86-10-82108891, E-mail: lishaokun@caas.cn; Peng Hou, Tel/Fax: +86-10-82108595, E-mail: houpeng@caas.cn * These authors contributed equally to this study.

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Xiaoxia Guo, Wanmao Liu, Yunshan Yang, Guangzhou Liu, Bo Ming, Ruizhi Xie, Keru Wang, Shaokun Li, Peng Hou. 2025. Matching the light and nitrogen distributions in the maize canopy to achieve high yield and high radiation use efficiency. Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 24(4): 1424-1435.

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