Abstract
Mathematical models were tested to correlate the leaf area index (LAI) of maize to the percentage of light intercepted by the canopy (% LIC) and this with the total dry matter of aerial parts (TDM), as well with the grain yield (GY). The experiment was conducted in a randomized block design, with four replications. The treatments consisted of hybrid maize at five plant densities: 4.0, 2.66, 2.0, 1.6, and 1.3 plants per m 2 (pl m -2 ). At densities of 4.0 and 2.66 pl m -2 , the average LAI and TDM did not differ among themselves but were significantly higher than those presented at the densities of 2.0, 1.66 and 1.3 pl m -2 , which also did not differ among themselves. The number of corncobs per plant (cob pl -1 ) and GY behaved similarly. The LAI grew exponentially with the plant density. For all ages of plants, the exponential model fit well with the % LIC values according to the LAI and also fit well to the data of dry mass as a function of % LIC. GY depending on the density fit well to quadratic, exponential straight line and logarithm-modified equations, and the number of cobs per plant depending on the density fit well to hyperbolic and exponential-modified equations.
Highlights
Photosynthetic CO2 fixation by plants responds immediately to fluctuations in the density of the photosynthetic photon flux (Q), such that the gain of dry mass is closely related to the light utilization ability of plants
The objective of this study is use mathematical models to relate the percentage of light intercepted according to leaf area index (LAI), to assess how the light intercepted is related to the dry mass of maize and to quantify the amount of light reaching the ground level in maize plots cultured as different densities
To vary the density of plants per m2, two arrangements of the corn plants were used: 1) increasing the distance between the rows and maintaining the number or density of plants per meter within each row, a common situation when you want to use between the furrows for another crop, such as beans in intercropping systems, and 2) maintaining the distance between the rows or within rows and varying only the number or density of plants per meter in a row, a common situation in mass production for silage
Summary
Photosynthetic CO2 fixation by plants responds immediately to fluctuations in the density of the photosynthetic photon flux (Q), such that the gain of dry mass is closely related to the light utilization ability of plants. This ability, in turn, depends primarily on the leaf area index (LAI) and the arrangement of leaves in the canopy, the morphology and anatomy of leaves, the sun elevation, changes in the quality or spectral distribution and the multiple reflection of Q within the canopy (BAVEC; BAVEC, 2002; MONTPIED et al, 2009; NOBEL et al 1993; PATAKAS et al, 2003; STEWART et al, 2003). The overall photosynthesis of a plant community depends on Maringá, v. 36, n. 4, p. 457-463, Oct.-Dec., 2014 both the Q absorbed by the leaf canopy and on its distribution in the culture profile (MONTPIED et al, 2009; NOBEL et al, 1993)
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