EFFECT OF HEDGEROW ORIENTATION ON MAIZE LIGHT INTERCEPTION AND YIELD IN BLACK LOCUST ALLEYS

Abstract

SUMMARY An experiment was carried out in Ohio, USA, to verify whether north-south hedgerow orientation, and hence location of maize rows on the western or eastern sides within the alleys, would influence maize light interception and yield at higher latitudes. Compared to unpruned black locust hedges, pruning improved light availability to maize at ear height by 36%, and allowed 52% more light to penetrate to the 15 cm height of the maize plants. Maize plants on the second row from the unpruned hedges received more light than the first maize row, but this was reversed with hedge pruning, especially of light reaching the 15 cm height of the maize plants. The location of maize rows on the western or eastern sides within the north-south aligned alleys did not have a significant effect on photosynthetically active radiation available to the various maize rows in the alleys, neither on the ultimate grain yield and yield components. What is important is to prune the hedges when they have grown tall enough, not w...