Preferred Water Information Sources in the Pacific Northwest

For the past 50 years, maize yields and planting densities in the United States have increased concurrently. During this time, breeders selected high-yielding hybrids under high planting densities that resulted in hybrids with smaller tassels, synchronized male and female flowering, and upright leaf angles. Higher planting densities combined with upright leaf angles improves light distribution and increases its interception within the canopy. The benefits of upright leaf angles have also been observed in other major crops, including barley, rice, sorghum, and wheat.