Effect of Seed Distribution and Population on Maize (Zea maysL.) Grain Yield

Bee Khim Chim,Sulochana Dhital,William Raun,Jeremiah Mullock,Natasha Macnack,Peter Omara

doi:10.1155/2014/125258

Abstract

Maize planting is normally accomplished by hand in the developing world where two or more seeds are placed per hill with a heterogeneous plant spacing and density. To understand the interaction between seed distribution and distance between hills, experiments were established in 2012 and 2013 at Lake Carl Blackwell (LCB) and Efaw Agronomy Research Stations, near Stillwater, OK. A randomized complete block design was used with three replications and 9 treatments and a factorial treatment structure of 1, 2, and 3 seeds per hill using interrow spacing of 0.16, 0.32, and 0.48 m. Data for normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), intercepted photosynthetically active radiation (IPAR), grain yield, and grain N uptake were collected. Results showed that, on average, NDVI and IPAR increased with number of seeds per hill and decreased with increasing plant spacing. In three of four site-years, planting 1 or 2 seeds per hill, 0.16 m apart, increased grain yield and N uptake. Over sites, planting 1 seed, every 0.16 m, increased yields by an average of 1.15 Mg ha−1(range: 0.33 to 2.46 Mg ha−1) when compared to the farmer practice of placing 2 to 3 seeds per hill, every 0.48 m.

Highlights

Seed spacing, a practice that determines the spatial distribution of plants, affects canopy structure, light interception, and radiation use efficiency and, biomass or grain yield [1]
Different spatial arrangements produced by changes in row spacing can affect appropriate plant density and, resource competition relationships which are crucial in crop productivity [1, 2]
Analysis of variance showed that number of seeds per hill and the interaction between plant spacing and seeds per hill had a significant (P < 0.01) effect on grain yield (Table 3)

Summary

Introduction

A practice that determines the spatial distribution of plants, affects canopy structure, light interception, and radiation use efficiency and, biomass or grain yield [1]. Wade et al [3] observed that the population of plants per square meter (density) and arrangement of individual plants within a square meter determine nutrient use and grain yield of maize. Doerge et al [5] reported that yield can be increased up to 0.25 Mg ha−1 for each 2.54 cm improvement in the plant spacing standard deviation. They added that individual plant yields were at a maximum when plants were within 0.05 to 0.07 meters of perfect equidistant spacing. Grain yield increases with increasing plant density and comes to a plateau at some point, above which increasing plant population is not economical. The extent to which plant density affects grain yield depends on the hybrid and other environmental conditions [4, 10, 11]

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Discussion

Conclusion