Grain yield and N uptake of maize in response to increased plant density under reduced water and nitrogen supply conditions

The development of modern agriculture requires the reduction of water and chemical N fertilizer inputs.Increasing the planting density can maintain higher yields,but also consumes more of these restrictive resources.However,whether an increased maize density can compensate for the negative effects of reduced water and N supply on grain yield and N uptake in the arid irrigated areas remains unknown.This study is part of a long-term positioning trial that started in 2016.A split-split plot field experiment of maize was implemented in the arid irrigated area of northwestern China in 2020 to 2021.The treatments included two irrigation levels:local conventional irrigation reduced by 20%(W1,3,240 m^(3)ha^(-1))and local conventional irrigation(W2,4,050 m^(3)ha^(-1));two N application rates:local conventional N reduced by 25%(N1,270 kg ha^(-1))and local conventional N(360 kg ha^(-1));and three planting densities:local conventional density(D1,75,000 plants ha^(-1)),density increased by 30%(D2,97,500 plants ha-1),and density increased by 60%(D3,120,000 plants ha^(-1)).Our results showed that the grain yield and aboveground N accumulation of maize were lower under the reduced water and N inputs,but increasing the maize density by 30% can compensate for the reductions of grain yield and aboveground N accumulation caused by the reduced water and N supply.When water was reduced while the N application rate remained unchanged,increasing the planting density by 30% enhanced grain yield by 13.9% and aboveground N accumulation by 15.3%.Under reduced water and N inputs,increasing the maize density by 30% enhanced N uptake efficiency and N partial factor productivity,and it also compensated for the N harvest index and N metabolic related enzyme activities.Compared with W2N2D1,the N uptake efficiency and N partial factor productivity increased by 28.6 and 17.6%under W1N1D2.W1N2D2 had 8.4% higher N uptake efficiency and 13.9% higher N partial factor productivity than W2N2D1.W1N2D2 improved urease activity and nitrate reductase activity by 5.4% at the R2(blister)stage and 19.6% at the V6(6th leaf)stage,and increased net income and the benefit:cost ratio by 22.1 and 16.7%,respectively.W1N1D2 and W1N2D2 reduced the nitrate nitrogen and ammoniacal nitrogen contents at the R6 stage in the 40-100 cm soil layer,compared with W2N2D1.In summary,increasing the planting density by 30% can compensate for the loss of grain yield and aboveground N accumulation under reduced water and N inputs.Meanwhile,increasing the maize density by 30% improved grain yield and aboveground N accumulation when water was reduced by 20% while the N application rate remained constant in arid irrigation areas.

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.

Effects of Plant Density on Yield and Canopy Micro Environment in Hybrid Cotton

A rational plant population is an important attribute to high yield of cotton, because it can provide a beneficial micro environment within the canopy for plant growth and development as well as yield formation. A 2-yr field experiment was conducted to determine the optimal plant density based on cotton yield in relation to the canopy micro environment （canopy temperature, relative humidity and light transmittance）. Six plant densities （1.2-5.7 plants m^-2） were arranged with a completely randomized block design. The highest cotton yield （1 507 kg ha^-1） was obtained at 3.0 plants m^-2 due to more bolls per unit ground area （79 bolls m2）, while the lowest yield （1 091 kg ha1） was obtained at 1.2 plants m^-2. Under the moderate plant density （3.0 plants m^-2）, there was a lower mean daily temperature （MDT, 27. 1℃） attributing to medium daily minimum temperature （Train, 21.9℃） and the lowest daily maximum temperature （Tmax, 35.8℃）, a moderate mean canopy light transmittance of 0.51, and lower mean daily relative humidity （MRH） of 79.7% from June to October. The results suggest that 3.0 plants m^-2 would be the optimal plant density because it provides a better canopy micro environment.

Response of grain yield to plant density and nitrogen rate in spring maize hybrids released from 1970 to 2010 in Northeast China

The objective of this study was to identify the response of grain yield to plant density and nitrogen rate in spring maize hybrids released from 1970 to 2010 and grown extensively in Northeast China.Twenty-one hybrids were grown for 2 years in Northeast China at densities of 30,000,52,500,75,000,and 97,500 plants ha^(-1)and N application levels of 0,150,300,and 450 kg N ha^(-1).Irrespective of density or nitrogen application rate,grain yields both per plant and per unit area were significantly higher for newer than older hybrids.As plant density increased from 30,000 to 97,500 plant ha^(-1),yield per plant of 1970 s,1980 s,1990 s,and 2000 s hybrids decreased by 50%,45%,46%,and 52%,respectively.The response of grain yield per unit area to plant density was curvilinear.The estimated optimum plant densities were about 58,000,49,000,65,000,and 65,000 plants ha^(-1)for hybrids released in the 1970 s,1980s,1990 s,and 2000 s,respectively.The theoretical optimum densities for the hybrids released from the 1970 s to the 2000 s increased by 1750 plants ha^(-1)decade^(-1).Nitrogen fertilization significantly increased grain yields per plant and per unit area for all hybrids.The theoretical optimum N application rates for high yield for hybrids released in the 1970 s and 1980 s were about 280 and 360 kg ha^(-1),and the hybrids from the 1990 s and 2000 s showed highest yield at 330 kg ha^(-1)N.No significant difference in the grain yields of 2000 s hybrids between the N levels of 150 to 450 kg ha^(-1)was found.Significant yield gains per plant and per unit area were found,with average increases of 17.9 g plant^(-1)decade^(-1)and936 kg ha^(-1)decade^(-1)over the period 1970–2010,respectively.Yield gains were attributed mainly to increased yield per plant,contributed by increases in kernel number per ear and1000-kernel weight.The rates of lodging and barren plants of newer hybrids were significantly lower than those of older ones,especially at high plant density.

Evaluation and analysis of intraspecific competition in maize: A case study on plant density experiment

Intraspecific competition is a common phenomenon in agricultural production,and maize is one of the most sensitive grass species to intraspecific competition due to its low tillering ability.This study evaluated and analyzed intraspecific competition in maize,and screened competitive indices that could be used to evaluate intraspecific competition in a maize population.A 2-year field experiment was conducted using the maize hybrid Zhongdan 2 at 12 plant densities ranging from 1.5 to 18.0 plants（pl）m-2.The results showed that the response of single-plant grain yield and dry matter at harvest to increased plant density decreased exponentially and that the harvest index decreased linearly.The response of population-level grain yield to plant density was curvilinear,producing a maximum value at the optimum population density.However,the yielddensity equation agreed well with the Steinhart-Hart equation curves,but not with the quadratic equation curves reported by most previous studies.Competitive indices are used to evaluate competition in a plant population or plant species.The present results show that competitive intensity（CI）and absolute severity of competition（ASC）increased with increasing plant density;however,relative yield（RY）and relative reproductive efficiency（RReff）decreased.The different responses of these indices reflect different aspects of competition.According to the analysis of CI,ASC,RY,and RReff,higher CI and ASC values indicate higher intraspecific competition,whereas higher RY and RReff values indirectly reflect lower intraspecific competition.These competitive indices evaluate not only the intraspecific competitive intensity under different plant densities of the same cultivar but also those of different cultivars under the same plant density.However,some overlap exists in the calculations of ASC,CI,and RY,so one could simply select any one of these indices to evaluate intraspecific competition in a maize population.In conclusion,the present study provides a method to evaluate intraspecific competition in maize populations,which may be beneficial for breeding high-yield maize varieties in the future.

Increased plant density and reduced N rate lead to more grain yield and higher resource utilization in summer maize

Planting at an optimum density and supplying adequate nitrogen（N） to achieve higher yields is a common practice in crop production, especially for maize（Zea mays L.）; however, excessive N fertilizer supply in maize production results in reduced N use efficiency（NUE） and severe negative impacts on the environment. This research was conducted to determine the effects of increased plant density and reduced N rate on grain yield, total N uptake, NUE, leaf area index（LAI）, intercepted photosynthetically active radiation（IPAR）, and resource use efficiency in maize. Field experiments were conducted using a popular maize hybrid Zhengdan 958（ZD958） under different combinations of plant densities and N rates to determine an effective approach for maize production with high yield and high resource use efficiency. Increasing plant density was clearly able to promote N absorption and LAI during the entire growth stage, which allowed high total N uptake and interception of radiation to achieve high dry matter accumulation（DMA）, grain yield, NUE, and radiation use efficiency（RUE）. However, with an increase in plant density, the demand of N increased along with grain yield. Increasing N rate can significantly increase the DMA, grain yield, LAI, IPAR, and RUE. However, this increase was non-linear and due to the input of too much N fertilizers, the efficiency of N use at NCK（320 kg ha^（–1）） was low. An appropriate reduction in N rate can therefore lead to higher NUE despite a slight loss in grain production. Taking into account both the need for high grain yield and resource use efficiency, a 30% reduction in N supply, and an increase in plant density of 3 plants m^（–2）, compared to LD（5.25 plants m^（–2））, would lead to an optimal balance between yield and resource use efficiency.

Effects of Plant Density and Nitrogen Application Rate on Grain Yield and Nitrogen Uptake of Super Hybrid Rice

The nitrogen uptake, yield and its components for two super-high-yielding hybrid rice combinations, Guodao 6 and Eryou 7954 were investigated under different plant densities （15, 18, and 21 plants/m^2） and different nitrogen application rates （120, 150, 180, and 210 kg/hm^2）. The experiment was conducted on loam soil during 2004-2006 at the experimental farm of the China National Rice Research Institute in Hangzhou, China. In these years, the two hybrid rice cleady showed higher yield at a plant density of 15 plants/m^2 with a nitrogen application rate of 180 kg/hm^2. Guodao 6 produced an average grain yield of 10 215.6 kg/hm^2 across the three years, while the yield of Eryou 7954 was 9 633.0 kg/hm^2. With fewer plants per unit-area and larger plants in the plots, the two hybrid rice produced more panicles per plant in three years. The highest nitrogen uptake of the two hybrid rice was at a plant density of 15 plants/m^2 with a nitrogen application rate of 180 kg/hm^2. Further increasing nitrogen application rate was not advantageous for nitrogen uptake in super-high-yielding rice under the same plant density.

Effects of plant density on cotton yield components and quality

Yield and ifber quality of cotton even varies within locules in a bol, but it is not clear how yield components and quality parameters are altered across seed positions of a locule （SPL）. A ifeld experiment was arranged in a split plot design with transgenic insect resistant Bt （Bacilus thuringiensis） cotton hybrid cultivar CRI75 and conventional cultivar SCRC28 as the main plots, and three plant densities （15000, 51000 and 87000 plants ha–1） as the subplots in 2012 and 2013 at Anyang, Henan Province, China. Cotton was hand harvested by node and fruiting position, and then seeds of the ifrst fruiting posi-tion bols from nodes 6–10 were separated by SPL. The effects of plant density on lint yield, ifber quality, especialy across SPL were determined. It was showed that plant densities of 51000 and 87000 plants ha–1 increased lint yield by 61.3 and 65.3% in 2012 and 17.8 and 15.5% in 2013 relative to low plant density （15000 plants ha–1）, however, no signiifcant differ-ence was observed between 51000 and 87000 plants ha–1. The number of bols （bol density） increased while bol weight decreased as plant density raised, and no signiifcant changes occured in lint percentage in 2013 but increased with plant density in 2012. The number of bols in upper nodes and distal fruiting positions, the number of seeds per bol, seed area （SA） and seed vigor index increased with decreasing plant density. Seed area was found to be greater from the base to the middle compared to the apex of a locule. Mote frequency （MF） increased as plant density increased, and ifber quality was the best at the middle of the locule regardless of plant density. As the number of ifbers per seed area is geneticaly determined, adjusting plant density to produce more seeds and greater seed area can be a potentialy promising alternative to improve lint yield in cotton. These ifndings might be of great importantance to cotton breeding and ifled management.

Effect of Plant Density on Wild Oat Competition with Competitive and Non-Competitive Wheat Cultivars

Wild oat （Avena ludoviciana） is one of the worst weeds in wheat fields. The effect of wheat density on wild oat competition with more or less competitive wheat cultivars （Triticum aestivum） was investigated at the Experimental Farm of Plant Pests and Diseases Research Institute, Karaj, Iran. The experiment was established as a factorial combination of wheat varieties Roshan as non-competitive and Niknejad as competitive; three wheat densities （recommended density, recommended＋25%, and recommended＋50%, corresponding respectively with 300, 375, and 450 plants m-2 for Roshan and 400, 500, and 600 plants m-2 for Niknejad） and four wild oat densities （0, 25, 50, and 75 plants m-2） were selected for this experiment. Hyperbolic equations were used to describe relationship between yield and weed density. Increase in wheat density reduced wild oat biomass. Maximum wild oat biomass was achieved at the highest density of the wild oat together with the lowest wheat density. The results showed that higher densities of wheat are able to suppress wild oat dry matter production. Inter-specific competition in Niknejad was 1.7 times more than that in Roshan. Maximum yields of Niknejad and Roshan in the presence of wild oat were obtained at recommended density＋25% and recommended density, respectively. Increase in wheat density leads to a decrease in wheat yield due to an increase in intra-specific competition. Increase in wild oat density results in the reduction of wheat yield through decrease in fertile tiller per plant and spike m-2.

Effects of Plant Density on Forage Nutritive Value of Whole Plant Corn

In the field experiment, the effects of plant densities (75 000, 112 500 and 150 000 plants ha-1) on forage nutritive value of whole plant corn (WPC) were studied from 1999 to 2001. The results demonstrated that with the increasing of plant density, the forage matter yield per plant corn decreased significantly, while the fresh matter and dry matter per hectare corn increased significantly, and a higher grains yield was gotten at higher plant densities. Forage nutritive quality of whole plant corn was changed as plant density increased, the crude protein (CP), ether extract (EE), crude fiber (CF), nitrogen free extract (NFE) and general energy (GE) yields increased obviously. Increas- ing plant density reasonably with the application of plant growth regulators could improve plant properties, harvest more forage matter, and enhance forage nutritive value of WPC.

Effects of plant density and mepiquat chloride application on cotton boll setting in wheat–cotton double cropping system

Sowing cotton directly after harvesting wheat in the Yangtze River Valley of China requires early mature of cotton without yield reduction.Boll-setting period synchronisation and more yield bolls distributed at the upper and middle canopy layers are also required for harvesting.The objective of this study is to quantify the individual and interaction effects of plant density and plant growth regulator mepiquat chloride(MC)on temporal and spatial distributions of yield bolls,as well as yield and yield components.During the 2013–2016 cotton growing seasons,the experiments were conducted on a shortseason cotton cultivar CRRI50 at Yangzhou University,China.Various combinations of plant density(12.0,13.5 and 15.0 plants m^(–2))and MC dose(180,270 and 360 g ha^(–1))were applied on cotton plants.The combination of 13.5 plants m^(–2)and 270 g ha^(–1)MC resulted in the greatest boll number per unit area,the highest daily boll setting number and more than 90%of bolls positioned within 45–80 cm above the ground.In conclusion,appropriate MC dose in combination of high plant density could synchronize boll-setting period and retain more bolls at the upper and middle canopy layers without yield reduction in the system of direct-seeded cotton after wheat harvest,and thus overcome the labor-intensive problem in current transplanting cropping system.

Impact of Plant Density on the Formation of Potato Mimitubers Derived from Microtubers and Tip-Cuttings in Plastic Houses

The potato minitubers have been widely used for the elite seed propagation to improve the seed potato system in China. However, little information is available for an efficient production of the minitubers with high plant density in the protected growing conditions like plastic houses. In present research, the minitubers of a wide-grown potato variety, Favorita, were produced with the microtubers from tissue culture and the tip-cuttings of the microtuber plants. Three plant densities, 200, 400 and 600 microtubers or plants m-2 were set up with the randomized block design of 3 replications and the experiment was repeated in 4 seasons in 2009-2010. The canopy development, light interception, dry weight production and partitioning, tuberization and tuber weight were investigated to elucidate the mechanism by which the plant density affects the formation and growth of the minitubers. The results showed that the number of the tubers formed per unite area was in line with the increase in plant density. The difference in leaf area index （LAI） between the plant densities, especially in early stage of the plant growth, resulted in more radiation interception and dry weight producing in higher plant density than in lower one. However, our analysis demonstrated that the conversion coefficient of the cumulative intercepted radiation to plant weight and the dry weight partition rate to the tubers were constant between plant densities, suggesting that less amount of the photoassimilates partitioned to individual tubers is causal for more small tubers in high plant density. A negative exponential curve model, determined by total number of tubers produced per unit area and the mean tuber weight, fitted well to the tuber size distribution pattern. The optimum plant density could be estimated from this model for a maximum production of the minitubers with desired size.

Water,Nitrogen and Plant Density Affect the Response of Leaf Appearance of Direct Seeded Rice to Thermal Time

Field experiments were conducted in the Ebro Delta area （Spain）, from 2007 to 2009 with two rice varieties： Gleva and Tebre. The experimental treatments included a series of seed rates, two different water management systems and two different nitrogen fertilization times. The number of leaves on the main stems and their emergence time were periodically tagged. The results indicated that the final leaf number on the main stems in the two rice varieties was quite stable over a three-year period despite of the differences in their respective growth cycles. Interaction between nitrogen fertilization and water management influenced the final leaf number on the main stems. Plant density also had a significant influence on the rate of leaf appearance by extending the phyllochron and postponing the onset of intraspecific competition after the emergence of the 7th leaf on the main stems. Final leaf number on the main stems was negatively related to plant density. A relationship between leaf appearance and thermal time was established with a strong nonlinear function. In direct-seeded rice, the length of the phyllochron increases exponentially in line with the advance of plant development. A general model, derived from 2-year experimental data, was developed and satisfactorily validated; it had a root mean square error of 0.3 leaf. An exponential model can be used to predict leaf emergence in direct-seeded rice.

High plant density increases seed Bt endotoxin content in Bt transgenic cotton

Plant density is the cultivation practice usually employed to manipulate boll distribution, boll setting and yield in cotton production. In order to determine the effect of plant density on the insecticidal protein content of Bacillus thuringiensis(Bt) cotton plants, a study was conducted in Yangzhou University of China in 2015 and 2016. Five plant densities(PD1–PD5, representing 15 000, 30 000, 45 000, 60 000, and 75 000 plants ha^(–1)) were imposed on two Bt cotton cultivars, Sikang 1(the conventional cultivar, SK-1) and Sikang 3(the hybrid cultivar, SK-3). The boll number per plant, boll weight and boll volume all decreased as plant density increased. As plant density increased from 15 000 to 75 000 plants ha–1, seed Bt protein content increased, with increases of 66.5% in SK-1 and 53.4% in SK-3 at 40 days after flowering(DAF) in 2015, and 36.8% in SK-1 and 38.6% in SK-3 in 2016. Nitrogen(N) metabolism was investigated to uncover the potential mechanism. The analysis of N metabolism showed enhanced soluble protein content, glutamic-pyruvic transaminase(GPT) and glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase(GOT) activities, but reduced free amino acid content, and protease and peptidase activities with increasing plant density. At 20 DAF, the seed Bt toxin amount was positively correlated with soluble protein level, with correlation coefficients of 0.825** in SK-1 and 0.926** in SK-3 in 2015, and 0.955** in SK-1 and 0.965** in SK-3 in 2016. In contrast, the seed Bt protein level was negatively correlated with free amino acid content, with correlation coefficients of –0.983** in SK-1 and –0.974** in SK-3 in 2015, and –0.996** in SK-1 and –0.986** in SK-3 in 2016. To further confirm the relationship of Bt protein content and N metabolism, the Bt protein content was found to be positively correlated with the activities of GPT and GOT, but negatively correlated with the activities of protease and peptidase. In conclusion, our present study indicated that high plant density elevated the amount of seed Bt protein, and this increase was associated with decreased boll number per plant, boll weight and boll volume. In addition, altered N metabolism also contributed to the increased Bt protein content under high plant density.

Grain Yield and Nitrogen Use Efficiency of Hybrid Rice in Response to High Plant Density and Nitrogen Rate

Increased plant density with low N rate was a recommended strategy to increase grain yield and N use efficiency(NUE);however,grain yield,NUE and the total N uptake(TNU)responses of hybrid rice to this strategy at different yield levels(medium yielding site(MYS)Luzhou City and high yielding site(HYS)Deyang City had not been described.Field experiments with hybrid rice Rongyou1015 were conducted to study the effects of two plant densities.High plant density(HD),low plant density(LD)and four N rates(without N,N_(0);a recommended N rate of 195 kg•hm^(-2),N_(CK);a 23%reduction in N rate,N_(-23%);a 46%reduction in N rate,N_(-46%)on yield attributes,grain yield,TNU and NUE of hybrid rice were studied under different yield levels in 2016-2017.The results showed that the grain yield and NUE of hybrid rice in response to plant density and N rate varied with yield levels.For MYS,reducing N rate by 46%result in significantly lower grain yield at LD treatment;whereas at HD treatment the grain yield of hybrid rice under N_(-46%) and N_(CK) were equal.For HYS,reducing N rate by 46% result in significantly lower grain yield regardless of low plant density and high plant density;however,a reduction in N rate by 23%increased grain yield,AE_(N) by 36%,PFP_(N) by 31% and RE_(N) by 11% over N_(CK) at HD treatment.Higher grain yield of hybrid rice under the combination of HD with low N rate was attributable to improvement in spikelets per panicle and harvest index.The results suggested that high plant density with low N rate might be an effective approach to improve grain yield and NUE in rice production,but reduction in N application rate was determined,according to yield levels.

Effect of Plant Density on the Yield of Hydroponically Grown Heat-Tolerant Tomato under Summer Temperature Conditions

Producing enough tomato to meet market demand sustainably has not been feasible in the tropics like Ghana. Attempts to improve production using greenhouse facilities have not addressed the challenge because of high-temperature conditions in the greenhouse, which are difficult to manage. Heat stress, arising from high temperatures, hinder the performance of tomato in terms of fruit set and yield. Moreover, the impending climate change is expected to impose more unfavorable environmental conditions on crop production. An experiment was conducted in (greenhouse at Chiba University, Japan) summer period, which has similar high-temperature conditions like Ghana. This work sought to increase the yield of a heat-tolerant tomato using a state-of-the-art hydroponic system through high-density planting. The outcome of this work was intended for adoption and practice in Ghana. A Heat-tolerant tomato “Nkansah HT” along with Lebombo and Jaguar cultivars, were grown at high and low plant densities (4.1 and 2.7 plants m-2 respectively). Each plant was grown in a low substrate volume culture (0.5 L plant-1) in a recirculating nutrient film technique (NFT) hydroponic system. Parameters measured were plant growth and dry matter assimilation at 12 weeks after transplanting, and the generative components. Results showed that a high plant density increased plant height but reduced chlorophyll content by 9.6%. Under temperature stress conditions, the three cultivars recorded more than 95% fruit set, but plant density did not affect the fruit set and the incidence of blossom end rot (BER). The incidence of BER reduced the marketable yield of the Jaguar cultivar by 51% but, this physiological disorder was not recorded in the HT and the Lebombo cultivars. A high-density planting increased the yield per unit area increased by 38.9%. However, it is uneconomical to cultivate the Jaguar cultivar under a heat stress condition due to its high susceptibility to blossom end rot. To improve the yield of tomatoes under tropical heat stress with a threatening climate change condition, the HT is a better cultivar suited for high-density planting. This study shows that high-density cultivation of the HT cultivar in NFT hydroponic system has the potential to increase Ghana’s current tomato yield by 4.8 times.

Dry Matter Partitioning, Nodulation and Seed Traits of Medium and Late Maturing Soybean Varieties as Affected by Planting Pattern and Plant Density

An experiment was conducted on Fluvisols of Awassa for two consecutive years （2005-2006） to determine effects of planting pattern and plant density on dry matter accumulation, nodulation, protein and oil content in early and late maturing soybean varieties. Results indicated that Awassa-95 variety produced significantly higher （P 〈 0.05） number of nodules/plant （NDN）, nodule dry matter （NDM） and leaf dry matter （LDM at R2 （mid flowering） stage of soybean growth than that of variety Belessa-95）. Similarly, variety Awassa-95 （45%） produced significantly higher protein content than variety Belessa-95 （40%）. However, variety Belessa-95 accumulated significantly higher （P 〈 0.01） dry matter in straw, grain and total biomass at R7 （physiological maturity） stage of soybean growth than variety Awassa-95. Similarly, oil content of variety Belessa-95 （18.1%） was significantly （P 〈 0.05） higher than that of variety Awassa-95 （15.9%）. Equidistant rows produced significantly higher （P 〈 0.05） NDM than either rectangular or paired rows. Moreover, soybean plants grown in both rectangular and equidistant rows produced significantly higher （P 〈 0.01） straw dry matter than those grown in paired rows; but, grain dry matter/plant （GDM） was significantly higher （P 〈 0.01） paired and rectangular rows compared to equidistant rows. Plant density also affected the per plant GDM production as it was significantly higher （P 〈 0.01） in 20 and 30 plants/m2 than higher plant densities （40 and 50 plants/m2）. However, dry matter and yield components had strong negative association with protein content. In fact, strong positive correlation （R 〉 0.600） occurred between grain yield and its components with dry matter components at R2 （stem dry matter （SDM）, leaf dry matter （LDM） and stem ＋ nodule ＋ leaf dry matter together known as TDM） and straw dry matter at R7 in both varieties. This study depicted that soybean plants that produce higher dry matter components at R2 would probably produce more straw dry matter, greater grain yield components and higher grain yield dry matter at later stages.

Effects of Plant Density on the Economic Yield and Agronomic Characters of Perilla frutescens L.

Perilla frutescens L. is a traditional medicinal plant in china. In recent years, with more and more attention is paid to the nutritional and health values of Perilla frutescens L, it has become a potential medicinal and edible crop. Two Per- ilia frutescens cultivars, Qisu No.1 （oil type） and Qisu No.3 （leaf and seed-using type）, bred by Rapeseed Research Institute of Guizhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences, were used as test material for studying the effects of different planting density on the economic yield and agronomic characters of Perilla frutescens L. under moderate fertility level. The results showed the variation tendency of agro- nomic characters with the change of planting density was similar for the two Perilla frutescens cultivars. Among them, the plant height, main-stem nods, first effective branch length, first effective branch height, spikes per plant, and yield per plant were negatively related to the planting density; and main spike length and main- spike grains were positively related to the planting density. The effects of planting density on kilo-grain weight were not significant. The yield of the two cuitivars all increased first and then decreased with the increase of planting density. The re- gression analysis of planting density versus yield of Perilla frutescens L. was per- formed for obtaining the regression equations （Qisu No.l： y=54.046 5＋96.777 lx- 45.719 8x2, r=0.999 4; Qisu No.3：y=38.717 6＋42.111 3x-16.757 7x2, r=0.999 8）. Based on the regression equations, the optimal planting density for Qisu No.1 was 158 745 plants/hm2 with peak yield of 1 578.90 kg/hm2, and for Qisu No.3 was 188 745 plants/hm2 with peak yield of 977.55 kg/hm2. Under the optimal planting density, Qisu No.3 could also harvest 3 000 kg/hm2 of Perilla frutescens dry leaves and 2 400 kg/hm2 of Perilla frutescens stems. This research would provide an important reference for the promotion, high-yield cultivation and comprehensive utilization of Perilla frutescens L.

Effect of Plant Density on Modern Soybean Cultivars Released from Ohio and Liaoning

Seeding rate is an important management practice for soybean production.Chinese and U.S.soybean growers use different seeding rates,and breeders in the two countries have developed cultivars adapted to respective plant densities.The objective of this study was to compare the effect of plant density on cultivars recently released in different breeding programs,using four cultivars developed in Liaoning,China and four in Ohio,USA.We used 3 plant density treatments(7.5,15.0,22.5 x 104 plants/hm2) and assessed yield and agronomic traits from 2004 to 2006 in Liaoning.There was no significant effect of plant density on yield for either group of the cultivars.The average yield of Ohio cultivars was higher than that of Liaoning cultivars,and there was no significant interaction between plant density and cultivar for all the assessed traits.The plant height of Liaoning cultivars was significantly higher than that of Ohio cultivars,and there was a significant effect of plant density on plant height.The average branch number of Ohio cultivars was larger than that of Liaoning cultivars;higher plant density reduced the branch number per plant greatly.Plant density had a signifi-cant effect on the node number and internode length,Liaoning cultivars generally had longer internode length.Plant density had a significant effect on seed yield:stem ratio,as the plant density increased the seed yield:stem ratio decreased for both groups of cultivars.However,100-seed weight was not affected by plant density.

Effects of Variety and Planting Density on Mung Bean Eco-Physiology and Yield in the Southeastern US

Mung bean (Vigna radiata L. Wilczek.) is a warm-season, C3 pulse crop of the legume family that has been widely cultivated in Asian countries. As the demand for mung bean continues to increase in the United States, the ecophysiology, growth, and yield of mung bean varieties in the southeastern US need to be assessed. A field experiment was conducted at the Agricultural Research and Education Center of Tennessee State University to investigate the effects of four varieties (OK2000, Berken, TSU-1, AAMU-1) and three planting densities (5, 10, and 15 cm spacing) on the ecophysiology and yield of mung bean. Results showed that the relative chlorophyll content, plant height, pod dry biomass, pod number, crop yield, and harvest index significantly varied among the varieties. Density only influenced transpiration, relative chlorophyll content, and plant dry biomass. OK2000 had 101.0% more pods per plant and a 42.4% higher harvest index and produced a 45.3% higher yield than other varieties, but no significant difference in yield was found among the other three varieties. This study demonstrated that the mung bean variety OK2000 with a high yield would be ideal for commercial production in the southeastern US.