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Effects of shading on spike differentiation and grain yield formation of summer maize in the field

International Journal of Biometeorology volume 59, pages 1189–1200 (2015)Cite this article

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted to study the effects of shading on tassel and ear development and yield formation of three summer maize hybrids Zhenjie 2 (ZJ2), Denghai 605 (DH605), and Zhengdan 958 (ZD958). The ambient sunlight treatment was used as control (CK) and shading treatments (40 % of ambient sunlight) were applied at different growth stages from silking stage (R1) to physiological maturity stage (R6) (treatment S1), from the sixth extended leaf stage (V6) to R1 (treatment S2) and from seeding to R6 (treatment S3). Shading had no significant effect on the time from seeding to shoot emergence (VE); however, subsequent growth and development were delayed with shading beyond this point. The differentiation time of both tassel and ear delayed, and female spike (tassel) floret differentiation, sexual organ formation time, and anthesis-silking interval (ASI) were lengthened. After shading, the total number of floret, silk, and fertilization floret reduced significantly; the number of abortive seeds increased, and the total setting percentage among different treatments showed that CK>S2>S1>S3; and the total setting percentages in S1, S2, and S3 of ZD958 were 44, 72, and 15 % respectively. The total floret number of tassel primordium differentiation, fertility rate, and seed setting rate of florets in S3 treatment was the minimum; kernels per ear decreased seriously and single ear setting percentage was only 16 %; although floret degeneration number of S2 during ear differentiation stages increased and floret fertility rate reduced than that of CK, fertilization flower seed production increased and abortive seed decreased after canceling shading. Aborted kernel of S1 increased and kernel dry weight reduced, resulting in a significant decrease of kernel number per ear and kernel weight, and the grain abortive rate of 40–62 %. In conclusion, shading changed the growth and development process and caused infertility of tassel and ear; tassel branches decreased, reducing pollen vitality and silks differentiation cut down; and grain dry matter accumulation and setting percentage decreased, causing yield reduction. Grain yield and biomass reduced 66, 36, and 93 % compared to the control by shading treatments of S1, S2, and S3, respectively.

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Abbreviations

VE:

Shoot emergence

V6:

The sixth extended leaf stage

V12:

The twelfth extended leaf stage

VT:

Tasseling stage

R1:

Silking stage

R6:

Physiological maturity stage

CK:

Control

S1:

Shading from R1 to R6

S2:

Shading from V6 to R1

S3:

Shading from seedling to R6

ASI:

Anthesis-silking interval

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Acknowledgments

We acknowledge the financial supports from the National Basic Research Program of China (973, Program, 2015CB150404), Chinese National Natural Science Funds (31271662), and Shandong Modern Agricultural Technology & Industry System (SDAIT-01-022-05).

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Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, Agronomy College of Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong, 271018, People’s Republic of China

    Haiyan Cui, Libin Jin & Jiwang Zhang

  2. Agronomy Department, Purdue University, 915 W State Street, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA

    James J. Camberato

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  1. Haiyan Cui
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  2. James J. Camberato
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  3. Libin Jin
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  4. Jiwang Zhang
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Correspondence to Jiwang Zhang.

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Cui, H., Camberato, J.J., Jin, L. et al. Effects of shading on spike differentiation and grain yield formation of summer maize in the field. Int J Biometeorol 59, 1189–1200 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00484-014-0930-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00484-014-0930-5

Keywords

  • Summer maize
  • Shading in field
  • Ear and tassel differentiation
  • Grain yield