Nitrogen management improves lodging resistance and production in maize(Zea mays L.)at a high plant density

Lodging in maize leads to yield losses worldwide.In this study,we determined the effects of traditional and optimized nitrogen management strategies on culm morphological characteristics,culm mechanical strength,lignin content,root growth,lodging percentage and production in maize at a high plant density.We compared a traditional nitrogen(N)application rate of 300 kg ha–1(R)and an optimized N application rate of 225 kg ha^(–1)(O)under four N application modes:50%of N applied at sowing and 50%at the 10th-leaf stage(N1);100%of N applied at sowing(N2);40%of N applied at sowing,40%at the 10th-leaf stage and 20%at tasseling stage(N3);and 30%of N applied at sowing,30%at the 10th-leaf stage,20%at the tasseling stage,and 20%at the silking stage(N4).The optimized N rate(225 kg ha^(–1))significantly reduced internode lengths,plant height,ear height,center of gravity height and lodging percentage.The optimized N rate significantly increased internode diameters,filling degrees,culm mechanical strength,root growth and lignin content.The application of N in four split doses(N4)significantly improved culm morphological characteristics,culm mechanical strength,lignin content,and root growth,while it reduced internode lengths,plant height,ear height,center of gravity height and lodging percentage.Internode diameters,filling degrees,culm mechanical strength,lignin content,number and diameter of brace roots,root volume,root dry weight,bleeding safe and grain yield were significantly negatively correlated with plant height,ear height,center of gravity height,internode lengths and lodging percentage.In conclusion,treatment ON4 significantly reduced the lodging percentage by improving the culm morphological characteristics,culm mechanical strength,lignin content,and root growth,so it improved the production of the maize crop at a high plant density.

Genome-wide association study and metabolic pathway prediction of barrenness in maize as a response to high planting density

Increasing the planting density is one way to enhance grain production in maize.However,high planting density brings about growth and developmental defects such as barrenness,which is the major factor limiting grain yield.In this study,the barrenness was characterized in an association panel comprising 280 inbred lines under normal(67500 plants ha–1,ND)and high(120000 plants ha–1,HD)planting densities in 2017 and 2018.The population was genotyped using 776254 single nucleotide polymorphism(SNP)markers with criteria of minor allele frequency>5%and<20%missing data.A genome-wide association study(GWAS)was conducted for barrenness under ND and HD,as well as the barrenness ratio(HD/ND),by applying a Mixed Linear Model that controls both population structure and relative kinship(Q+K).In total,20 SNPs located in nine genes were significantly(P<6.44×10–8)associated with barrenness under the different planting densities.Among them,seven SNPs for barrenness at ND and HD were located in two genes,four of which were common under both ND and HD.In addition,13 SNPs for the barrenness ratio were located in seven genes.A complementary pathway analysis indicated that the metabolic pathways of amino acids,such as glutamate and arginine,and the mitogen-activated protein kinase(MAPK)signaling pathway might play important roles in tolerance to high planting density.These results provide insights into the genetic basis of high planting density tolerance and will facilitate high yield maize breeding.

Evidence of arrested silk growth in maize at high planting density using phenotypic and transcriptional analyses

Increasing the planting density is an effective way to increase the yield of maize(Zea mays L.),although it can also aggravate ovary apical abortion-induced bald tips of the ears,which might,in turn,reduce the yield.While the mechanism underlying the regulation of drought-related abortion in maize is well established,high planting density-related abortion in maize remains poorly understood.Therefore,the present study was designed to investigate the mechanism underlying the ovary apical abortion response to high density.This was achieved by evaluating the effects of four different plant densities(60000 plants ha^(–1)(60 k),90 k,120 k,and 150 k)on plant traits related to plant architecture,the plant ear,flowering time,and silk development in two inbred lines(Zheng58 and PH4CV)and two hybrid lines(Zhengdan958 and Xianyu335).The phenotypes of both inbred and hybrid plants were observed under different planting density treatments,and the high planting density was found to increase the phenotypic performance values of the evaluated traits.The anthesis–silking interval(ASI)was extended,and the amount of the silk extruded from husks was reduced upon increasing the planting density.Delayed silk emergence resulted in asynchronous flowering and ear bald tips.Observations of the silk cells revealed that the silk cells became smaller as planting density increased.The changes in transcript abundances in the silks involved the genes associated with expansive growth rather than carbon metabolism.These findings further our understanding of silk growth regulation under high planting density and provide a theoretical basis for further research on improving high planting density breeding in maize.

Research progress on reduced lodging of high-yield and-density maize

Increasing plant density is an effective way to enhance maize yield, but often increases lodging rate and severity, significantly elevating the risk and cost of maize production. Therefore, lodging is a major factor restricting future increases in maize yield through high-density planting. This paper reviewed previous research on the relationships between maize lodging rate and plant morphology, mechanical strength of stalks, anatomical and biochemical characteristics of stalks, root characteristics, damage from pests and diseases, environmental factors, and genomic characteristics. The effects of planting density on these factors and explored possible ways to improve lodging resistance were also analyzed in this paper. The results provide a basis for future research on increasing maize lodging resistance under high-density planting conditions and can be used to develop maize cultivation practices and lodging-resistant maize cultivars.

Creation of two hyperactive variants of phytochrome B1 for attenuating shade avoidance syndrome in maize

Increasing the planting density of maize is an effective measure to improve its yield.However,plants under high planting density tend to trigger shade avoidance syndrome(SAS),reducing lodging resistance and ultimately yield drop.Phytochrome B(phyB)plays a dominant role in mediating shade avoidance response.This study constructed two hyperactive mutated alleles of maize PHYB1:ZmPHYB1^(Y98F)(mimicking Y104F of AtPHYB)and ZmPHYB1^(Y359F)(mimicking Y361F of AtPHYB).Ectopic expression of ZmPHYB1^(Y98F) and ZmPHYB1^(Y359F) under the control of the ZmPHYB1 promoter in the Arabidopsis phyB-9 background rendered enhanced activity on complementing the phyB-9 related phenotypes compared with ZmPHYB1^(WT).Moreover,similar to the behavior of ZmPHYB1^(WT),ZmPHYB1Y98F and ZmPHYB1^(Y359F) proteins are localized to the nucleus after red light exposure,and could interact with PIF proteins of maize.In addition,expression of ZmPHYB1^(Y98F) and ZmPHYB1^(Y359F) variants under the control of the native ZmPHYB1 promoter attenuated SAS of maize seedlings subjected to simulated shade treatment.It effectively reduced mature maize’s plant height and ear height in field conditions.The results combined demonstrate the utility of ZmPHYB1^(Y98F) and ZmPHYB1^(Y359F) for attenuating SAS and breeding high density-tolerant varieties of maize.

Herbaceous Cultivation Test of Mulberry in Sichuan Sericultural Area

With Guiteyou 2 as the test mulberry variety, mulberry herbaceous cultivation field was established at the planting densities of 60 000,90 000 and 120 000 plants/hm2, respectively. Hybrid mulberry herbaceous cultivation test was conducted, with Tongxiangqing mulberry field of mid-fist-form at conventional planting density of 4 995 plants/hm2 as the control. The results showed that the leaf yield of herbaceous cultivation mulberry was closely related to the planting density. With the increasing planting density, the leaf yield per plant was decreasing, but the leaf yield per unit area of mulberry field was increasing. The annual leaf yield per unit area in the mulberry field with the average planting density of 120 000 plants/hm2 was 37 560 kg/hm2, 2.14 times of that of the control field. The moisture content of mulberry leaf in herbaceous cultivation field was 4.74% higher than the control; the contents of crude protein, crude fat, crude fiber and crude ash were 1.264%, 0.014%, 0.744% and 0.002%lower than the control, respectively. Comparison of leaf rearing with herbaceous cultivation mulberry and control mulberry showed that there was no significant difference in growth status of silkworm. The cocoon weight, cocoon shell weight, cocoon yield per 10 000 larvae, cocoon filament length and non-broken filament length of Chuanshan × Shushui were 12.81%, 14.29%, 13.85%, 5.95% and 7.68% lower than the control, respectively; but the percentage of common cocoons was 0.16% higher than the control; the cleanness and neatness were 0.2 and 1.25 points higher than the control;the filament size was 0.196 dtex lower than the control. The cocoon weight, cocoon shell weight, cocoon yield per 10 000 larvae, cocoon filament length and non-broken filament length of Jingsong × Haoyue were 11.06%, 10.20%, 11.53%, 9.46% and 9.03% lower than the control, respectively;but the percentage of common cocoons was 1.77% higher than the control; the cleanness and neatness were 0.12 and 2.50 points higher the control;and the filament size was 0.196 dtex lower than the control.