DYNAMICS OF DRY MATTER PRODUCTION, TRANSPIRATION AND PHOSPHORUS UPTAKE OF MAIZE

Abstract

A two-year pot experiment was carried out in a green-house to investigate the dry matter (DM) accumulation, distribution and redistribution in maize, the transpiration intensity/leaf area and the dry leaf weight. The uptake, distribution and redistribution of phosphorus was also studied. The total dry matter weight (DMW) of aerial plant parts increased up to 108 days after emergence (DAE) and then, with the exception of the grain, decreased to the final harvest. Averaged over two years, the most DM was transported to the grain from the stalk (69.41%) and the least from the leaf-sheath (1.69%). The lowest transpiration intensity calculated per dm 2 hour -1 was 0.41 g and the highest 1.35 g. The transpiration intensity calculated per unit weight of dry leaf blades was 0.62 and 2.80 g. In both years the total phosphorus uptake increased in all aboveground plant parts up to the 80 th day after emergence and then, with the exception of the grain, decreased to the final harvest. At the end of the growing season the grain stored most (84.85%) of the absorbed phosphorus, averaged over two years.