Optimum Planting Density Improves Resource Use Efficiency and Yield Stability of Rainfed Maize in Semiarid Climate

Increasing planting density is an effective strategy for improving maize productivity, but grain yield does not increase linearly with the increase in plant density, especially in semiarid environments. However, how planting density regulates the integrated utilization of key input resources (i.e.,...

Descripción completa

Guardado en:

Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales:	Yuanhong Zhang, Zonggui Xu, Jun Li, Rui Wang
Formato:	article
Lenguaje:	EN
Publicado:	Frontiers Media S.A. 2021
Materias:	density resources use efficiency photosynthetic characteristic rainfed maize grain yield Plant culture SB1-1110
Acceso en línea:	https://doaj.org/article/46f25a8ab2fb478cb6645a727e4c9cfd
Etiquetas:	Agregar Etiqueta Sin Etiquetas, Sea el primero en etiquetar este registro!

id	oai:doaj.org-article:46f25a8ab2fb478cb6645a727e4c9cfd
record_format	dspace
spelling	oai:doaj.org-article:46f25a8ab2fb478cb6645a727e4c9cfd2021-11-12T05:57:36ZOptimum Planting Density Improves Resource Use Efficiency and Yield Stability of Rainfed Maize in Semiarid Climate1664-462X10.3389/fpls.2021.752606https://doaj.org/article/46f25a8ab2fb478cb6645a727e4c9cfd2021-11-01T00:00:00Zhttps://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2021.752606/fullhttps://doaj.org/toc/1664-462XIncreasing planting density is an effective strategy for improving maize productivity, but grain yield does not increase linearly with the increase in plant density, especially in semiarid environments. However, how planting density regulates the integrated utilization of key input resources (i.e., radiation, water, and nutrients) to affect maize production is not clear. To evaluate the effects of planting density and cultivar on maize canopy structure, photosynthetic characteristics, yield, and resource use efficiency, we conducted a successive field experiment from 2013 to 2018 in Heyang County (Shaanxi Province, China) using three different cultivars [i.e., Yuyu22 (C1), Zhengdan958 (C2), and Xianyu335 (C3)] at four planting densities [i.e., 52,500 (D1), 67,500 (D2), 82,500 (D3), and 97,500 (D4) plants ha–1]. Increasing planting density significantly increased the leaf area index (LAI) and the amount of intercepted photosynthetically active radiation (IPAR), thereby promoting plant growth and crop productivity. However, increased planting density reduced plant photosynthetic capacity [net photosynthetic rate (Pn)], stomatal conductance (Gc), and leaf chlorophyll content. These alterations constitute key mechanisms underlying the decline in crop productivity and yield stability at high planting density. Although improved planting density increased IPAR, it did not promote higher resource use efficiency. Compared with the D1 treatment, the grain yield, precipitation use efficiency (PUE), radiation use efficiency (RUE), and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) increased by 5.6–12.5%, 2.8–7.1%, and −2.1 to 1.6% in D2, D3, and D4 treatments, respectively. These showed that pursuing too high planting density is not a desirable strategy in the rainfed farming system of semiarid environments. In addition, density-tolerant cultivars (C2 and C3) showed better canopy structure and photosynthetic capacity and recorded higher yield stability and resource use efficiency. Together, these results suggest that growing density-tolerant cultivars at moderate planting density could serve as a promising approach for stabilizing grain yield and realizing the sustainable development of agriculture in semiarid regions.Yuanhong ZhangYuanhong ZhangZonggui XuJun LiJun LiRui WangRui WangFrontiers Media S.A.articledensityresources use efficiencyphotosynthetic characteristicrainfed maizegrain yieldPlant cultureSB1-1110ENFrontiers in Plant Science, Vol 12 (2021)
institution	DOAJ
collection	DOAJ
language	EN
topic	density resources use efficiency photosynthetic characteristic rainfed maize grain yield Plant culture SB1-1110
spellingShingle	density resources use efficiency photosynthetic characteristic rainfed maize grain yield Plant culture SB1-1110 Yuanhong Zhang Yuanhong Zhang Zonggui Xu Jun Li Jun Li Rui Wang Rui Wang Optimum Planting Density Improves Resource Use Efficiency and Yield Stability of Rainfed Maize in Semiarid Climate
description	Increasing planting density is an effective strategy for improving maize productivity, but grain yield does not increase linearly with the increase in plant density, especially in semiarid environments. However, how planting density regulates the integrated utilization of key input resources (i.e., radiation, water, and nutrients) to affect maize production is not clear. To evaluate the effects of planting density and cultivar on maize canopy structure, photosynthetic characteristics, yield, and resource use efficiency, we conducted a successive field experiment from 2013 to 2018 in Heyang County (Shaanxi Province, China) using three different cultivars [i.e., Yuyu22 (C1), Zhengdan958 (C2), and Xianyu335 (C3)] at four planting densities [i.e., 52,500 (D1), 67,500 (D2), 82,500 (D3), and 97,500 (D4) plants ha–1]. Increasing planting density significantly increased the leaf area index (LAI) and the amount of intercepted photosynthetically active radiation (IPAR), thereby promoting plant growth and crop productivity. However, increased planting density reduced plant photosynthetic capacity [net photosynthetic rate (Pn)], stomatal conductance (Gc), and leaf chlorophyll content. These alterations constitute key mechanisms underlying the decline in crop productivity and yield stability at high planting density. Although improved planting density increased IPAR, it did not promote higher resource use efficiency. Compared with the D1 treatment, the grain yield, precipitation use efficiency (PUE), radiation use efficiency (RUE), and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) increased by 5.6–12.5%, 2.8–7.1%, and −2.1 to 1.6% in D2, D3, and D4 treatments, respectively. These showed that pursuing too high planting density is not a desirable strategy in the rainfed farming system of semiarid environments. In addition, density-tolerant cultivars (C2 and C3) showed better canopy structure and photosynthetic capacity and recorded higher yield stability and resource use efficiency. Together, these results suggest that growing density-tolerant cultivars at moderate planting density could serve as a promising approach for stabilizing grain yield and realizing the sustainable development of agriculture in semiarid regions.
format	article
author	Yuanhong Zhang Yuanhong Zhang Zonggui Xu Jun Li Jun Li Rui Wang Rui Wang
author_facet	Yuanhong Zhang Yuanhong Zhang Zonggui Xu Jun Li Jun Li Rui Wang Rui Wang
author_sort	Yuanhong Zhang
title	Optimum Planting Density Improves Resource Use Efficiency and Yield Stability of Rainfed Maize in Semiarid Climate
title_short	Optimum Planting Density Improves Resource Use Efficiency and Yield Stability of Rainfed Maize in Semiarid Climate
title_full	Optimum Planting Density Improves Resource Use Efficiency and Yield Stability of Rainfed Maize in Semiarid Climate
title_fullStr	Optimum Planting Density Improves Resource Use Efficiency and Yield Stability of Rainfed Maize in Semiarid Climate
title_full_unstemmed	Optimum Planting Density Improves Resource Use Efficiency and Yield Stability of Rainfed Maize in Semiarid Climate
title_sort	optimum planting density improves resource use efficiency and yield stability of rainfed maize in semiarid climate
publisher	Frontiers Media S.A.
publishDate	2021
url	https://doaj.org/article/46f25a8ab2fb478cb6645a727e4c9cfd
work_keys_str_mv	AT yuanhongzhang optimumplantingdensityimprovesresourceuseefficiencyandyieldstabilityofrainfedmaizeinsemiaridclimate AT yuanhongzhang optimumplantingdensityimprovesresourceuseefficiencyandyieldstabilityofrainfedmaizeinsemiaridclimate AT zongguixu optimumplantingdensityimprovesresourceuseefficiencyandyieldstabilityofrainfedmaizeinsemiaridclimate AT junli optimumplantingdensityimprovesresourceuseefficiencyandyieldstabilityofrainfedmaizeinsemiaridclimate AT junli optimumplantingdensityimprovesresourceuseefficiencyandyieldstabilityofrainfedmaizeinsemiaridclimate AT ruiwang optimumplantingdensityimprovesresourceuseefficiencyandyieldstabilityofrainfedmaizeinsemiaridclimate AT ruiwang optimumplantingdensityimprovesresourceuseefficiencyandyieldstabilityofrainfedmaizeinsemiaridclimate
_version_	1718431165594992640

Optimum Planting Density Improves Resource Use Efficiency and Yield Stability of Rainfed Maize in Semiarid Climate

Ejemplares similares