Physiological studies of competition in Zea mays L: III. Competition in maize and its practical implications for forage maize production

Abstract

SUMMARYCompetition among maize plants in the vegetative stage of growth was postponed by application of nitrogen to the seed bed and by maintaining soil moisture near field capacity. The amount of available nitrogen was a critical factor in determining the effect of the competitive balance between nitrogen and light on maize yield. The supply of either affected the capacity of the crop to utilize the other, but ultimately light became the dominant factor.Soil moisture deficits of up to 1.0 in from field capacity, in the early stages of vegetative growth, did not reduce dry-matter accumulation and uptake of nitrogen, but in the absence of weed competition and post-planting cultivation soil moisture losses in the early stages of crop growth may be small.In 1966, maize responded quicker to surface applied than to deep-placed nitrogen and utilized the surface applied nitrogen for dry-matter accumulation more effectively.Provided that there was initially an adequate supply of nitrogen in the seed bed, there appeared to be no advantage to total yield from application of nitrogen top dressings to maize. In the West Midlands, under conditions of adequate nutrient and soil moisture supply, the optimum plant population for commercial production of forage maize was about 40000 per acre.