Phenological synchrony between summer maize and the Asiancorn borer

Abstract

<p indent=0mm>Maize is one of China’s main food crops, and its growth and yield are significantly influenced by climate change, diseases, and insect pests. Phenological synchrony describes the matching extent of different phenological events. As an important indicator representing species interaction, phenological synchrony plays a vital role in directing agricultural production. In natural ecosystems, two mechanisms can be applied to explain the phenological mismatch between interacting species. On the one hand, there are differences in the rate of development for different species responding to a change of environmental factors; on the other hand, species evolve to better adapt to the changed environment after the asynchrony. The phenological synchrony between summer maize and the Asian corn borer has currently received less attention. Using the data of summer maize phenology, the adult peak of the Asian corn borer, and meteorological records at three stations in Heze city over the past <sc>18 years</sc> (1995–2012), the results show that summer maize phenology has a legacy effect. The controlled sowing date indirectly changes the jointing date and tasseling date, which ultimately causes the nonlinear trend of the synchrony between jointing and tasseling dates and the adult peak of the Asian corn borer. There is no significant synchrony change between the milking date and the second adult peak over the study period. The controlled sowing date largely changes the occurrence of the Asian corn borer during summer maize development, which may affect the corn borer’s population, and finally changes maize yield. To control pests, increase maize yield and actively deal with climate change, it is vital to deeply study the mechanism of the change of phenological synchrony between maize and the Asian corn borer under the effect of human-controlled sowing date and climate change.