BACKGROUND: Global warming has led to methods of planting late-maturing maize varieties in northeast China that have hindered the development of physiological maturity (PM) at harvest and the use of mechanical grain harvesting (MGH). Under these conditions it is difficult to balance the drying characteristics of maize varieties and to make full use of accumulated temperature resources in such a way as to reduce grain moisture content (GMC) at harvest. RESULTS:The effective accumulated temperature (AcT) and the drying rates of different varieties vary. In northeast China, with a GMC of 25%, the growth periods of a fast-drying variety (FDV) and a slow-drying variety (SDV) were 114-192 days and 110-188 days respectively. After PM, the FDV needed 47 days and the SDV needed 51 days to reduce the GMC to be ready for MGH. Harvested with a GMC of 20%, the growth period for the FDV was 97-175 days and for the SDV it was 90-171 days. After PM, the FDV required 64 days and the SDV needed 70 days to reduce the GMC to be ready for MGH.CONCLUSION: Matching cultivars with AcT can help farmers to choose suitable varieties. Promoting MGH may boost maize production, thus ensuring China's food security.
Background The accurate evaluation of the stalk-lodging resistance during the late stage of maize growth can provide a basis for the selection of cultivars, the evaluation of cultivation techniques, and timely mechanical grain harvesting. In this study, the critical wind speed of stalk breaking, plant morphology, stalk mechanical strength, and lodging rate were investigated in 10 maize cultivars to identify the parameters as evaluate lodging resistance during the later growth stage of maize, and clarify the relationship with the stalk mechanical strength, critical wind speed of stalk breaking, and natural lodging rate in the field. Results The results showed that, in the late growth stage, with increasing number of days after physiological maturity, (1) the stalk lodging rate gradually increased, (2) the stalk breaking force and rind penetration strength (RPS) of the third internode above the soil gradually decreased, and (3) the critical wind speed of stalk breaking increased first and then decreased, and was highest at about 16–24 days after physiological maturity. Furthermore, the stalk lodging rate was significantly negatively correlated with the critical wind speed of stalk breaking, however was not correlated with plant height, ear height, stalk breaking force, or the RPS. Additionally, the critical wind speed of stalk breaking was significantly positively correlated with the stalk breaking force and the RPS. Conclusion This indicates that the critical wind speed of stalk breaking is a superior way to determine the stalk lodging resistance compared to traditional indicators. These results suggest that, in the late growth stage, the decrease in the stalk mechanical strength is an important reason for the decrease in the critical wind speed of stalk breaking and the increase in the lodging rate.
Maize (Zea mays L.) grain quality is an important economic trait directly determining the market price and application value of maize. In this study, maize grain starch, protein, oil, fiber concentrations, and bulk density were investigated based on a multi‐site experiment across China to determine the regional distribution trend of grain quality and its influencing factors. It showed that the mean starch, protein, oil, fiber concentrations, and bulk density in China were 73.4%, 9.5%, 4.2%, 3.6%, and 77.2 kg hL−1, respectively. Overall, each nutritional composition concentration did not show the same spatial distribution as grain yield that was in the order of Northwest (NW) > North (NM) > Huanghuaihai (HM) > Southwest (SW) maize region. The starch and protein concentrations were highest in SW and HM, respectively. The oil concentration was lowest in NW. The interregional difference in bulk density was not significant. As for cultivars, the starch and oil concentrations of ZD958 were higher than that of XY335 in each region, but the protein, fiber concentrations, and bulk density appeared to be the opposite trend. Correlation analysis indicated that the fiber concentration and bulk density were positively correlated with grain yield. The protein, oil, and fiber concentrations were negatively correlated with starch concentration. Among the considered climatic factors, the protein, fiber concentrations, and bulk density were mainly positively affected by temperature factors in China. The results provide a reference for the division of maize advantageous quality regions and the construction of high‐yield and quality technology model in typical ecological regions.
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