Studies on the Wilting Treatment of Corn Plants : I. The influence of successive wilting on the growth and fodder yield

Abstract

The conception has been prevailing for a long time that the crop plants grown under permanent wilting at several stages of the development always show a decrease in yield. For the improvement of irrigation method the authors scrutinized what disparity exhibited in growth and production of dry matter of corn plants as a provender, cultivated under the influence of successive wilting treatments at some stages of the development. This investigation was practised with the potted plants arranged in the green house condition. Wagner's pots were filled up with diluvial soil containing few organic matter. The potted plants presented the phenomenon of wilting in conformity to discontinued irrigation and soil aridity level was brought on several changes by the period to rewatering. The influences of wilting treatment on corn plants were as follows: 1. When corn plants were passed through successive wilting at the early stage of growth up to 6 leaves age, the growth and fodder yield decreased visually, but they showed an increase when corn plants were passed through only temporary wilting at same stage. 2. On any age between 9 leaves age when the lower internodes began to elongate and 15 leaves age when they were established, not only the growth and fodder yield did not decrease by the successive wilting but they often increased. However, they always showed a decrease when the plants were passed through more hardy successive wilting. 3. When corn plants were passed through successive wilting on the 18 leaves age when the stem began to elongate vigorously, they showed a decrease without restoring in the growth and fodder yield. 4. It may be very interesting phenomenon that the growth and the production of dry mater show the tendency to increase by rewatering after the plants were passed through temporary wilting at the early stage of growth up to 6 leaves age and they were passed through successive wilting for few days at the early stage of stem elongation.