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The influence of soil temperatures as controlled by mulching on growth and development in maize
Author(s) -
IREMIREN G. O.,
MILBOURN G. M.
Publication year - 1979
Publication title -
annals of applied biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.677
H-Index - 80
eISSN - 1744-7348
pISSN - 0003-4746
DOI - 10.1111/j.1744-7348.1979.tb06518.x
Subject(s) - mulch , tassel , agronomy , sowing , biology , canopy , dry matter , digging , horticulture , botany , zea mays , history , archaeology
SUMMARY An increase in soil temperature (at 5 cm) of between 1.5 and 4.0 d̀C occurred for 84 days after sowing maize with a surface mulch of clear polyvinyl chloride (PVC) sheet compared with a ground chalk mulch. This rise in soil temperature resulted in a 15 day advance in both emergence and the commencement of tassel primordia differentiation, with full tassel differentiation being 24 days earlier. The PVC mulch also led to 13 days earlier silking, with the spread in date of silking being reduced from 19 to 8 days, this effect being similar for both a double‐cross and a single‐cross hybrid. Dry matter yields of whole crop silage and of grain were increased by 11 and 39% respectively with PVC mulch due to the earlier development of a complete canopy with a longer grain fill period.