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Leaf Angle, Tassel Morphology, and the Performance of Maize Hybrids 1
Author(s) -
Lambert R. J.,
Johnson R. R.
Publication year - 1978
Publication title -
crop science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.76
H-Index - 147
eISSN - 1435-0653
pISSN - 0011-183X
DOI - 10.2135/cropsci1978.0011183x001800030037x
Subject(s) - tassel , hybrid , biology , sowing , canopy , plant density , agronomy , shading , zea mays , grain yield , horticulture , poaceae , botany , art , visual arts
The relative importance of leaf orientation, planting densities, planting patterns, and tassel shading on grain production of certain maize ( Zea mays L.) genotypes was investigated. Three experiments were conducted over a 4‐year period to ascertain the effect of leaf angle on grain yield and percentage of unproductive plants in several maize hybrids. A plant‐density experiment using normal, liguleless‐l, and liguleless‐2 leaf types at densities of 60,000, 75,000, and 90,000 plants/ha in 50.8 cm row spacings was conducted over a 3‐year period. The liguleless‐2 hybrids produced 6.7% and 12.9% more grain at 75,000 and 90,000 plants/ha, respectively, than the normal leaf type hybrids. A plant‐spacing experiment using 1,290 cm 2 and 645 cm 2 /plant and the same three leaf types was grown over a 2‐year period. The liguleless‐2 hybrids produced 9.7% and 49.7% more grain at 1,290 cm 2 and 645 cm 2 (25.4 ✕ 25.4 cm) plant spacings, respectively, than the normal leaf type hybrids. In both experiments an increase in unproductive plants was associated with a reduction is grain yields. An additional 1‐year experiment was conducted to determine if light penetration into the leaf canopy and tassel morphology could account for the increased grain yield of liguleless‐2 hybrids. The normal leaf type hybrids had only 89% as much incident light in the leaf canopy as the liguleless‐ 2 hybrids. In addition, tassel removal increased grain yield of the normal leaf type hybrids but not that of the liguleless‐2 hybrids. Based on results of this study, leaf angle and tassel morphology were two characters associated with increased grain yield of liguleless‐2 hybrids under high plant densities and narrow row spacings. Liguleless‐I hybrids have almost a total vertical leaf orientation and did not respond in the same manner in these experiments as liguleless‐2 hybrids, although the leaf angle and light penetration into the canopy were greater than liguleless‐2 hybrids. Responses of liguleless‐1 hybrids were similar to those of normal hybrids.