Maize Height Research Articles

Exogenous Oxygen Replenished as a Promising Method for Mitigating Salt Stress in Maize Seedling Stage

ABSTRACT Soil salinization is one of the main reasons for soil degradation, which limiting the improvement of soil productivity. To evaluate the response plant height, stem diameter, plant biomass and nutrient uptake of maize, and soil properties to various salt stress and oxygen supply rates, a soil culture experiment with two factors were carried out: different salt stress degrees (A0, 0 g L−1 NaCl irrigation; A3, 3 g L−1 NaCl irrigation; A6, 6 g L−1 NaCl irrigation; A9, 9 g L−1 NaCl irrigation;) and different rhizosphere oxygen supply degrees (B0, 0 ml L−1 H2O2 solution; B0.5, 0.5 ml L−1 H2O2 solution; B1, 1 ml L−1 H2O2 solution; B1.5, 1.5 ml L−1 H2O2 solution). The results showed that the plant height, stem diameter, aboveground and root biomass of maize under different salt stress degrees were reduced by 6.8–9.8%, 4.4–9.8%, 18.4–45.5% and 21.4–35.8% at the end of the experiment compared to A0, respectively. Meanwhile, the nutrient uptake of aboveground and root were declined, especially under high salt stress degree, but the sodium (Na+) uptake was increased significantly. Rhizosphere oxygen supply enhanced the plant height, stem diameter, aboveground and root biomass by 2.0–6.5%, 4.1–6.1%, 27.5–56.6% and 19.5–47.1% at the end of the experiment compared to B0, respectively. The restriction of nutrient absorption caused by salt stress could be alleviated. Soil quality indicators were influenced by salt stress and oxygen supply management as well. Overall, rhizosphere oxygen supply could alleviate the restriction of salinization on maize growth at seedling stage, improve soil chemical quality and water use efficiency.

Spatial and temporal variation in crop productivity and relation with soil fertility within upland agroforestry

Agroforestry can be an option of sustainable farming practices for upland communities. However, information of spatial and temporal variation in soil fertility and crop productivity along slopes, which can guide e.g. effective management, such as application of fertilizers, is limited. This study evaluated spatial and temporal variability in crop productivity and soil fertility along slopes in two different fruit tree agroforestry systems in upland areas of north-west Vietnam: (1) longan-mango agroforestry integrating longan (Dimocarpus longan L.), mango (Mangifera indica L.), maize (Zea mays L.), and guinea grass (Panicum maximum Jacq.), and (2) plum agroforestry integrating plum (Prunus salicina L.), maize, and guinea grass. The two systems were established on relatively steep slopes, 37 % and 65 % slope, respectively. Crop performance and soil fertility were measured in different positions relative to the fruit tree-grass rows over 4–5 years and compared with sole-crop maize. The results showed that maize height, grain yield, and leaf nitrogen (N) concentrations were significantly higher at the upslope than downslope side of tree-grass rows. For example, the grain yields were 30–35 % higher at the upslope than downslope side. Regarding soil fertility, there was a tendency that SOC, total N, total phosphorus (P), available P, and available potassium (K) were higher at the upslope than downslope side of tree-grass rows. Thus, the forage grass strips played an important role in trapping N and other nutrients, and enhanced nutrient use efficiency within agroforestry at the steeply sloping study sites. The maize performance and soil fertility in the areas mid-way between two tree-grass rows were comparable to those in sole-crop maize. The results of this study can provide guidance for farmers managing fruit tree agroforestry in north-west Vietnam or other regions with similar cropping, climate, and biophysical characteristics to implement more effective plot management practices on sloping land.

Ellagic acid alleviates aluminum and/or drought stress through morpho-physiochemical adjustments and stress-related gene expression in Zea mays L.

This study investigates the potential of ellagic acid (EA) to mitigate the effects of drought and aluminum (Al3+) stresses in maize by examining various morpho-physiochemical parameters and gene expressions. Maize (Zea mays L.) serves as a crucial global food source, but its growth and productivity are significantly hindered by drought and aluminum (Al3+) stresses, which lead to impaired root development, elevated levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), diminished photosynthetic efficiency, and reduced water and mineral absorption. Recently, ellagic acid (EA), a polyphenolic compound with potent antioxidant properties, has been identified for its role in regulating plant growth and enhancing stress tolerance mechanisms. However, the specific mechanisms through which EA contributes to Al3+ and/or drought tolerance in plants remain largely unknown. The present study was conducted to examine the defensive role of EA (100μg/mL) in some morpho-physiochemical parameters and the expression profiles of some stress-related genes (ZmCPK22, ZmXTH1, ZmHIPP4, ZmSGR, ZmpsbA, ZmAPX1, and ZmGST1) in drought (polyethylene glycol-6000 (PEG-6000), - 0.6MPa) and aluminum chloride (AlCl3, 60μM) stressed Zea mays Ada 523 grown in nutrient solution. Our results indicated that drought and aluminum chloride stresses affected root length, shoot height, H2O2 content, chlorophyll content (SPAD), electrolyte leakage (EL), and relative water content (RWC) of maize with several significant (P < 0.05) shifts up and down. Conversely, EA (100μg/mL) treatment had a mitigating effect on these parameters. Moreover, EA also mitigated the antioxidant enzyme activities (superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX)), and regulated the expressions of aforementioned genes. These findings determined that EA treatment could efficiently improve the gene expressions and morpho-physiochemical parameters under drought and/or Al3+ stresses, thereby increasing the seedlings' adaptability to these stresses.

Maize plant height automatic reading of measurement scale based on improved YOLOv5 lightweight model.

Plant height is a significant indicator of maize phenotypic morphology, and is closely related to crop growth, biomass, and lodging resistance. Obtaining the maize plant height accurately is of great significance for cultivating high-yielding maize varieties. Traditional measurement methods are labor-intensive and not conducive to data recording and storage. Therefore, it is very essential to implement the automated reading of maize plant height from measurement scales using object detection algorithms. This study proposed a lightweight detection model based on the improved YOLOv5. The MobileNetv3 network replaced the YOLOv5 backbone network, and the Normalization-based Attention Module attention mechanism module was introduced into the neck network. The CioU loss function was replaced with the EioU loss function. Finally, a combined algorithm was used to achieve the automatic reading of maize plant height from measurement scales. The improved model achieved an average precision of 98.6%, a computational complexity of 1.2 GFLOPs, and occupied 1.8 MB of memory. The detection frame rate on the computer was 54.1 fps. Through comparisons with models such as YOLOv5s, YOLOv7 and YOLOv8s, it was evident that the comprehensive performance of the improved model in this study was superior. Finally, a comparison between the algorithm's 160 plant height data obtained from the test set and manual readings demonstrated that the relative error between the algorithm's results and manual readings was within 0.2 cm, meeting the requirements of automatic reading of maize height measuring scale.

Effect of tillage and precision nutrient placement on growth and productivity of maize (Zea mays)

The experiment was conducted at ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi during rainy season of 2022 to asses the effect of tillage and precise nutrient placement on maize (Zea mays L.) growth. Employing a split-plot design with 3-tillage methods in main plots, viz. T1 , (conventional tillage); T2 , (once rotavator as minimum tillage) and T3 , (zero tillage) and 4, precision nutrient application options N1 , 50% RDF as point placement; N2 , 75% RDF as band placement; N3, 100% RDF as band placement and N4, 100% RDF as broadcasting were tested in subplots. Results indicated that tillage and precision nutrient placement practices improved the plant height and LAI of maize. Minimum tillage recorded significantly higher crop growth indices, viz. CGR (1.92 g/m2/day), RGR (26.80 g/g/day) and dry matter accumulation (204.58 g/plant) over other tillage practices at 60 to 90 Days after sowing (DAS). Root attributes also improved under minimum tillage. The grain yield was significantly higher with minimum tillage (6.22 t/ha) over other tillage practices. Among the precision nutrient application options, 100% RDF as band placement recorded significantly higher grain yield (6.20 t/ha) over N2 and N4 but remained statistically at par with 50% RDF point placement (6.06 t/ha). The findings suggested that adopting minimum tillage and precise nutrient point placement could significantly enhance maize growth and yield in kharif seasons, offering 50% reduction in fertilizer consumption.

Integrated plant nutrient supply modules for enhancing crop growth, productivity and nutrient balance in maize - chickpea cropping sequence

A long-term field study was conducted to evaluate integrated plant nutrient supply (IPNS) system in maizechickpea cropping sequence. In this study, twelve IPNS modules of Soil Test Crop Response (STCR) based fertilizers, recommended dose of fertilizers (RDF), farmyard manure (FYM), poultry manure (PM), urban compost (UC), maize residue (MR) and Gliricidia loppings (GL) were investigated. Results indicated that plant height, dry biomass, yield parameters (cob length and girth, grains/cob and 1000-grains weight) and yields (grain and stover) of maize significantly (p=0.05) improved with IPNS module (75% NPK +5 t FYM) and increased 31.8 and 23.8% grain yield over the RDF and 100% NPK of STCR, respectively. In chickpea, the higher plant height, dry biomass, pods/ plant and yields (grain and straw) were obtained with the residual fertility of FYM @ 25 t/ha every year and followed by IPNS module (75%NPK +5 t FYM). However, residual fertility of PM and UC based IPNS modules also considerably improved the crop growth and yields of chickpea. Substantially higher system productivity was also noticed with 75% NPK +5 t FYM and followed 75% NPK +1 t PM based IPNS modules which was 1.86 and 0.99 t/ ha higher than RDF. A positive nutrient balance was recorded with addition of higher level FYM only (25 t/ha) Whereas, a negative nutrient balance was noticed for N and K in all plots excluding higher level of organic manures. However, there has been substantial build-up of N, P and K in plots receiving 25 t FYM every year. The additional supply of nutrients (organic + inorganic) is crucial for positive nutrients balance. Thus, STCR based fertilizers (75% NPK) along 25% nutrients through organic manures (FYM and PM) sustained the crop yield while the addition of FYM (25 t/ha) is essential for a positive balance of nutrients in the soil.

The physiological and biochemical role of silicon in enhancing the resistance of maize to root‐lesion nematode

AbstractSilicon (Si) plays an important role in enhancing the tolerance of plants to biotic and abiotic stress in soil ecosystems. Root‐lesion nematodes (Pratylenchus scribneri; RLNs) cause root damage and diseases that result in quality deterioration and economic loss. This study investigated the effects of Si application on maize plants and its interaction with RLN infection. We set up different treatments to evaluate the role of silicon application in maize root growth and RLN resistance. This study conducted analysis by combining measurements of the metabolism and root activity of maize under different conditions. The results suggested that Si application (0.5 g/kg) significantly promoted fresh shoot weight, plant height, SPAD value (chlorophyll content), and root activity of maize, regardless of RLN inoculation. The highest SPAD value was observed in the Si treatment, which was significantly higher than in the control (CK) and RLN (N) treatments. Analysis of enzyme activity revealed that nematode inoculation reduced catalase (CAT) activity and increased malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration, while Si application increased CAT activity and decreased MDA concentration. In the SiN treatment, there was increased CAT activity at 0, 12, 48, 72 and 96 h compared with the N treatment. In parallel, nematode inoculation increased phenylalanine ammonia‐lyase (PAL), and polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activities, while SiN treatment further enhanced their activities. These findings indicate that Si application enhances maize resistance to nematode infection and improves plant growth and antioxidant defence mechanisms.

Effects of microplastics and cadmium co-contamination on soil properties, maize (Zea mays L.) growth characteristics, and cadmium accumulation in maize in loessial soil-maize systems

Microplastics (MPs) are pervasive pollutants found in agricultural soils, yet research on the combined impacts of MPs and heavy metals on soil-plant systems remains limited. This study investigates the combined impact of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) microplastics (L: 1 mm, S: 100 μm, 0.1%, 1%) and Cd on soil properties, available Cd content, maize growth, and Cd accumulation by mazie through pot experiments. The findings unveiled notable impacts of the treatment groups, namely MP-L0.1%, MP-S0.1%, MP-L1%, and MP-S1%, on soil organic carbon (SOC), maize height, and catalase (CAT) activity (P < 0.05). The dosage of MPs significantly influenced maize height, MP-S0.1% treatment resulted in a 5.6% reduction, while the other groups had insignificant effects. Particle size and dosage significantly affected SOC and CAT (P < 0.01). The MP-L1% and MP-S1% groups resulted in increases of SOC by 121.5% and 281.0%, respectively. CAT reductions were 32.6%, 62.8%, 41.9%, and 34.9% in MP-L0.1%, MP-S0.1%, MP-L1%, and MP-S1% groups, individually. The Cd treatment induced a significant decrease in soil cation exchange capacity (CEC), maize stem diameter, and root length, accompanied by significant increases in maize plant height, malondialdehyde (MDA), CAT, and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities. Combined LDPE and Cd contamination had significant effects on maize height and Cd content in leaves. Specifically, MP-L0.1%+Cd, MP-S0.1%+Cd, MP-L1%+Cd, and MP-S1%+Cd reduced maize height by 4.1%, 4.5%, 8.7%, and 13.8%, respectively. The co-presence of LDPE and Cd increased available Cd content in soil while elevating Cd concentration in maize shoots and roots, with a notable 25.5% increase in Cd concentration in maize leaves in the MP-L1%+Cd group compared to the Cd group. Furthermore, LDPE effects on soil-plant systems varied depending on particle size and dosage. This research provides important perspectives on evaluating the concurrent contamination and potential dangers of MPs and toxic metals in soil-plant environments.

The potency of fungal entomopathogens isolated from Spodoptera frugiperda as endophytic plant-growth promoter

Previous studies have identified endophytic fungi as plant growth promoters and insect pest management. In the current study, six fungal isolates of Metarhizium anisopliae and Beauveria bassiana were isolated from larval corpses of fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) and tested for their ability to colonize leaf tissue through root and leaf applications or foliar-spray and to promote the growth of young maize (Zea mays) plants. The maize growth attributes examined were germination rate, height, dry and fresh weight, and leaf area. The research was conducted in May until June 2023 in Universitas Sriwijaya, Indonesia. The results revealed that M. anisopliae and B. bassiana were isolated from the cadavers of S. frugiperda and confirmed to be endophytic fungi. Root application was more effective to enhance the fresh weight, plant height, and leaf area of maize compared to foliar-spray. The fungi could significantly enhance the fresh weight, plant height, and leaf area of the young maize plants. The best isolate that could enhance the maize growth was the B. bassiana WTTJC260521A isolate. These findings suggest that M. anisopliae and B. bassiana isolated from fall armyworm corpses that had the potential to enhance maize plant growth through root applicaton.

Comparative analysis of the effects of microplastics and nitrogen on maize and wheat: Growth, redox homeostasis, photosynthesis, and AsA-GSH cycle

Microplastics (MPs) pose a significant threat to the function of agro-ecosystems. At present, research on MPs has mainly focused on the effects of different concentrations or types of MPs on a crop, while ignoring other environmental factors. In agricultural production, the application of nitrogen (N) fertilizer is an important means to maintain the high yield of crops. The effects of MPs and N on growth parameters, photosynthetic system, active oxygen metabolism, nutrient content, and ascorbate-glutathione (AsA-GSH) cycle of maize and wheat were studied in order to explicit whether N addition could effectively alleviate the effects of MPs on maize and wheat. The results showed that MPs inhibited the plant height of both maize and wheat, and MPs effects on physiological traits of maize were more severe than those of wheat, reflecting in reactive oxygen metabolism and restriction of photosynthetic capacity. Under the condition of N supply, AsA-GSH cycle of two plants has different response strategies to MPs: Maize promoted enzyme activity and co-accumulation of AsA and GSH, while wheat tended to consume AsA and accumulate GSH. N application induced slight oxidative stress on maize, which was manifested as an increase in hydrogen peroxide and malonaldehyde contents, and activities of polyphenol oxidase and peroxidase. The antioxidant capacity of maize treated with the combination of MPs + N was better than that treated with N or MPs alone. N could effectively alleviate the adverse effects of MPs on wheat by improving the antioxidant capacity.

UAV-Based Remote Sensing to Evaluate Daily Water Demand Characteristics of Maize: A Case Study from Yuci Lifang Organic Dry Farming Experimental Base in Jinzhong City, China

Soil moisture critically influences crop growth, especially in dryland environments. Precise agricultural management requires real-time monitoring of stratified soil moisture and assessment of crops’ daily water needs. We aim to provide low-cost, high-throughput information acquisition services for dryland regions with underdeveloped infrastructure and offer scientific support for sustainable water resource management. We used UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) with multi-spectral sensors for routine maize monitoring, capturing leaf reflectance. Constructing vegetation indices, we quantified the relationship between leaf water content and surface soil moisture, using the Biswas model to predict deep soil moisture distribution. We used UVAs to monitor crop height and calculated the daily water demand for the entire growth period of corn using the Penman Montes equation. We found an R2 of 0.8603, RMSE of 2.455%, and MAE of 2.099% between NDVI and canopy leaf water content. A strong linear correlation (R2 = 0.7510) between canopy leaf water content and soil moisture was observed in the top 20 cm of soil. Deep soil moisture inversion from the top 20 cm soil moisture showed an R2 of 0.9984, with RE mostly under 10%, but exceeding 20% at 120 cm depth. We also constructed a maize height model aligning with a sigmoidal growth curve (R2 = 0.9724). Maize’s daily water demand varied from 0.7121 to 9.4263 mm, exhibiting a downward-opening parabolic trend. Integration of rainfall and soil water data allowed for dynamic irrigation adjustments, mitigating drought and water stress effects on crops. We highlighted UAV multi-spectral imaging’s effectiveness in monitoring crop water needs, facilitating quick daily water requirement estimations. Our work offers a scientific foundation for managing maize cultivation in drylands, enhancing water resource utilization.

Cloning and functional analysis of ZmMADS42 gene in maize

ABSTRACT Maize (Zea mays L.) is the most important cereal crop in the world. Flowering period and photoperiod play important roles in the reproductive development of maize. This study, investigated ZmMADS42, a gene that is highly expressed in the shoot apical meristem. Agrobacterium infection was used to successfully obtain overexpressed ZmMADS42 plants. Fluorescence quantitative PCR revealed that the expression of the ZmMADS42 gene in the shoot apical meristem of transgenic plants was 2.8 times higher than that of the wild-type(WT). In addition, the expression of the ZmMADS42 gene in the endosperm was 2.4 times higher than that in the wild-type. The seed width of the T2 generation increased by 5.35%, whereas the seed length decreased by 7.78% compared with that of the wild-type. Dissection of the shoot tips of transgenic and wild-type plants from the 7-leaf stage to the 9-leaf stage revealed that the transgenic plants entered the differentiation stage earlier and exhibited more tassel meristems during their vegetative growth period. The mature transgenic plants were approximately 20 cm shorter in height and had a lower panicle position than the wild-type plants. Comparing the flowering period, the tasseling, powdering, and silking stages of the transgenic plants occurred 10 days earlier than those of the wild-type plants. The results showed that the ZmMADS42 gene played a significant role in regulating the flowering period and plant height of maize.

Maize height estimation using combined unmanned aerial vehicle oblique photography and LIDAR canopy dynamic characteristics

Plant height (PH) is a key indicator for assessing plant health and growth, as well as an important criterion for ideotype breeding, making efficient, accurate PH measurement essential. The traditional manual measurement method is small-scale, inefficient, and time-consuming, which has restricted crop breeding progress and agricultural production efficiency improvements. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to estimate the maize populations’ PH in the field using multisource unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) images and to explore the factors that affect the accuracy of oblique photography (OP) and light detection and ranging (LIDAR) measurements of the populations’ PH. To this end, we acquired red–green–blue (RGB), LIDAR, and multispectral image data for a maize population canopy using a UAV in four growth stages in two maize production regions, and we obtained the maize PH via field measurement as validation data. First, we reconstructed the three-dimensional point cloud using OP and LIDAR, and we used the 2nd and 100th percentiles of the elevation information as the lower and upper boundaries, respectively, to estimate the maize height. In addition, we used multispectral-based vegetation indices (VIs) and RGB-based texture indices (TIs) to describe the population canopy’s characteristics, and we compared and analyzed the accuracy of the PH estimation for four data types and ten data fusion methods. The results revealed that all four data types could accurately estimate the maize PH and that the R2 values were all greater than 0.75. The light detection and ranging elevation (LIDAR_elev) had the highest estimation accuracy, and the R2 values of the maximum, minimum, and average PH of the population were all greater than 0.90. We also found that the dynamic characteristics of the canopy growth were important factors affecting the estimation of the PH using the oblique photography elevation (OP_elev) and LIDAR_elev. Thus, after fusing the VIs and TIs, the R2 value reached a maximum of 0.98, and the root mean square error (RMSE) was 8 cm. The use of different regression models had little influence on the estimation of the PH. Our research provides an effective method for high-throughput evaluation of a maize population’s PH growth and serves as a reference for studying other phenotype parameters.

Effects of Tillage Practices on the Growth and Yield of Maize, in the Guinea Savannah Ecological Zone of Ghana

Abstract: A field study was conducted to investigate the influence of conventional tillage (CVT) and conservation tillage (CST) on various aspects of maize yield parameters and grain yield, using the Wagdaata maize variety. The study was conducted at the experimental farm of Tamale Technical University, located at Northern region, Tamale, Sagnarigu municipality in the Guinea savannah ecological zone of Ghana in 2023 cropping season. A randomised complete block design was used with three replicates. The treatments consisted of two tillage practices: conventional tillage (CVT) and conservation tillage (CST) and a control. The CVT involved plowing the soil to a depth of 15cm using a tractor plough with disk to plow. The CST involved use of hoe to make ridges and the control was direct seeding without loosen the soil. Plant height was evaluated every two weeks by measuring the height of maize to the base of the apex leaf. Other data collected were: maize leaf area. Cob characteristics including ear height, cob weight with husk, fresh cob weight, and dry cob weight, number of cobs per hectare and number of kernels per cob, 1000 seed weight and grain yields. The present study revealed that plant height, maize leaf area and shoot dry weight increased in the ridges than the other tillage practices. Cob characteristics such as ear height, cob weight with husk, fresh cob weight, and dry cob weight, number of cobs per hectare and number of kernels per cob, 1000 seed weight and grain yields was also optimum with the ridges as a against the other tillage practices. The study showed increased grain yield by 66% in the ridge tillage (2,389 kg/ha) over the plough tillage (1,436 kg/ha). The study provides comprehensive insights into the impact of tillage practices on various aspects of maize growth and yield, with ridge tillage emerging as a favorable practice for optimizing maize plant development and overall productivity in the Guinea savannah ecological zone of Ghana.

COMPARING FODDER PRODUCTION OF MAIZE VARIETIES UNDER VARIED NITROGEN LEVELS

Maize (Zea mays L.) plays a significant role as a fodder crop, supporting rural populations and livestock. Unfortunately, in Pakistan, there is a shortage of green fodder due to the unbalanced use of fertiliser and improper selection of maize varieties for fodder production. This research aimed to address the need for quality fodder by studying the effects of nitrogen (N) on new maize varieties, ultimately enhancing livestock production and agricultural sustainability. The experiment took place in the summer of 2022 at the Cereal Crop Research Institute in Pakistan. Adopting an RCB design with three replications, fodder maize varieties (Jalal, Kaptan and Jumbo) were tested with four N levels (0, 100, 150, 200 kg N ha−1) applied during sowing, knee (V4), and silking stages. The data upon analysis revealed that different maize varieties had a significant impact on the studied parameters. Maize varieties affected days to tasselling and silking, with the Jumbo variety recording the longest duration (59 and 62, respectively). Similar results were observed for days to milking, with the Jumbo variety taking the longest time (80 days). It also recorded a higher leaf number (11.5), leaf area (478 cm−2) and leaf area index (3.4). Fresh fodder (67,777 kg ha−1) and dry fodder yield (23,424 kg ha−1) were higher for the Jumbo variety. In terms of N application, tasselling (59) and silking (62) took more days when 150 and 200 kg N ha−1 was applied compared to the control. Compared to the control plots (83 days), 200 kg N delayed the milking stage by 10 days. A higher but statistically similar leaf count, leaf area and leaf area index were recorded with 150 and 200 kg N ha−1. The plant height of maize was also higher, with 150 (196 cm) and 200 kg N ha−1 (202 cm). Lastly, a higher fresh fodder and dry fodder yield was associated with 150 and 200 kg N ha−1. Based on these results, the Jumbo variety, with the application of 150 kg N ha−1, is recommended for cultivation for economic feasibility and to obtain a higher fodder yield of maize.

Statistical Analysis of Soil Type and Organic Manure Quantity on Maize Growth and Yield: A Case Study from the Department of Crop Science, Federal University of Technology

This study investigates the impact of different quantities of organic (poultry) manure on the height yield of maize crops in three soil types (sandy, clay, and loamy) in Owerri, Nigeria. Utilizing a randomized complete block design (RCBD), the study applies analysis of variance (ANOVA) to assess the significance of the treatments, which range from 0 to 15 tons/ha in 2.5-ton increments. Data analysis confirms that the assumptions of independence, normality, and homogeneity of variance are satisfied. Results reveal that both soil type and manure quantity significantly affect maize height, with interactions between these factors also being significant. Optimal maize height is achieved with 12.5 tons/ha of manure in sandy soil, followed by 5.0 tons/ha in loamy soil, and 15.0 tons/ha in clay soil. The study concludes that appropriate manure application enhances maize yield, and it recommends government support for farmers through education, loans, and availability of organic manure to boost maize production and contribute to Nigeria’s economic growth.

Addition of organic amendments derived from invasive apple snails alleviated soil acidification, improved soil nitrogen and phosphorus effectiveness, microbial growth and maize yield in South China

Pomacea canaliculata (apple snail) is an invasive agricultural pest posing serious threats to aquatic crop production and wetland ecosystem function in Asia. The shell of P. canaliculata is composed of calcium carbonate (CaCO3), while its soft tissue is protein-rich (carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) sources). Thus, P. canaliculata has the potential to be used as a source of organic soil amendments. Here, we evaluated the effectiveness of snail derivatives (powder, including shells and soft tissues of the snails) as organic soil amendments to improve the productivity of an acidic dryland soil in South China. Snail powder (SP) was incorporated into the soil at application rates of 0–50 g kg−1, followed by planting of maize. Our results showed that SP addition significantly increased soil pH (up to 7.25–7.95), alleviated soil acidification. Moreover, SP addition improved soil N, phosphorus (P) effectiveness, and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) content, increasing biomass of actinobacteria and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) to stimulate microbial growth. Notably, SP addition increased height (up to 42.4 %), biomass (up to 117.6 %) and yield (up to 118.9 %) of maize, with 10 g kg−1 SP optimal for plant productivity. However, the optimal application rate and buffer time for field application of SP warrant further study. Our findings demonstrate the potential of SP resource utilization for acidic soil remediation and the invasive snail P. canaliculata control.

Identification of QTNs, QTN-by-environment interactions for plant height and ear height in maize multi-environment GWAS

Plant height (PH) and ear height (EH) are important traits associated with biomass, lodging resistance, and grain yield in maize. There were strong effects of genotype x environment interaction (GEI) on plant height and ear height of maize. In this study, 203 maize inbred lines were grown at five locations across China’s Spring and Summer corn belts, and plant height (PH) and ear height (EH) phenotype data were collected and grouped using GGE biplot. Five locations fell into two distinct groups (or mega environments) that coincide with two corn ecological zones called Summer Corn Belt and Spring Corn Belt. In total, 73,174 SNPs collected using GBS sequencing platform were used as genotype data and a recently released multi-environment GWAS software package IIIVmrMLM was employed to identify QTNs and QTN x environment (corn belt) interaction (QEIs); 12 and 11 statistically significant QEIs for PH and EH were detected respectively and their phenotypic effects were further partitioned into Add*E and Dom*E components. There were 28 and 25 corn-belt-specific QTNs for PH and EH identified, respectively. The result shows that there are a large number of genetic loci underlying the PH and EH GEIs and IIIVmrMLM is a powerful tool in discovering QTNs that have significant QTN-by-Environment interaction. PH and EH candidate genes were annotated based on transcriptomic analysis and haplotype analysis. EH related-QEI S10_135 (Zm00001d025947, saur76, small auxin up RNA76) and PH related-QEI S4_4 (Zm00001d049692, mads32, encoding MADS-transcription factor 32), and corn-belt specific QTNs including S10_4 (Zm00001d023333, sdg127, set domain gene127) and S7_1 (Zm00001d018614, GLR3.4, and glutamate receptor 3.4 or Zm00001d018616, DDRGK domain-containing protein) were reported, and the relationship among GEIs, QEIs and phenotypic plasticity and their biological and breeding implications were discussed.

UAV-based plant height estimation of maize cultivated using different varieties and sowing spacing

This study aimed at estimating plant height of maize using low-cost unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) based imagery. The experiment was laid out in a factorial arrangement in randomized complete block design. The factors were maize varieties (honampa, ahooden, ahoofe and abontem) and intra-row sowing spacing (20 cm, 30 cm and 40 cm). A constant inter-row spacing of 80 cm was used for all sub-plots. Data (both UAV-based imagery and manual data) were taken 21 days after sowing (DAS) -seedling/establishment stage-, 42 DAS (vegetative stage), 63 DAS (tasseling stage), and 84 DAS (physiological maturity stage). The results showed a high correlation between the UAV-based plant height and manual measurement with R2 (adjust) &gt; 0.92 in all cases. For the intra-row sowing spacing, the 20 cm plant spacing was found to have had the best overall R2 (adjust) of 0.949, showing the strongest regression of UAV with the manual data among the treatments. Also, it was found that the best stage to estimate maize plant height is dependent on the variety being used since the honampa gave the best correlation coefficient (R = 0.85) at the tasseling stage while the ahooden, ahoofe and abontem gave optimum correlation coefficients (R) of 0.70, 0.90 and 0.69 respectively at the vegetative stage. Overall, the study shows potency of using UAV-based imagery for estimating plant height of maize. The findings of the study could be useful to agronomists and smallholder farmers in Ghana and other developing countries regarding the usefulness of the technology for in-field data collection and advisory services.

Effects of Different Tillage and Residue Retention Measures on Silage Maize Yield and Quality and Soil Phosphorus in Karst Areas

Soil phosphorus (P) limitation in karst areas has severely constrained soil quality and land productivity. To enhance silage maize yield and quality and alleviate and/or balance the low phosphorus availability in the karst areas of China, the experiment investigated the effects of different tillage and residue retention practices on silage maize yield and quality and soil phosphorus in this region. The treatment set included: conventional tillage (CT), conventional tillage and root stubble retention (CTH), conventional tillage and mulch (CTM), conventional tillage and crushing and incorporation of hairy vetch by tillage (CTR), no tillage (NT), no tillage and root stubble retention (NTH), no tillage and mulch (NTM), and no tillage and living mulch (NTLM). The results showed that CTM, NTM, CTR, and NTLM significantly increased the height and LAI of silage maize compared with the CT, NT, and NTH treatments. CTM, CTR, and NTM significantly enhanced maize yield. Compared with conventional tillage, not tilling had a more pronounced improvement in silage quality, whereas residue retention hardly affected corn quality. In addition, although not tilling does not significantly increase acid phosphatase activity, it appeared to be advantageous in increasing soil microbial phosphorus and available phosphorus content when combined with cover crop measures. Ultimately, we concluded that NTM and NTLM are beneficial for silage maize yield and quality and soil phosphorus content in karst areas and verified the advantages of combining no tillage and residue retention practices for silage maize production and soil phosphorus improvement in the karst areas of China.