The Effect and Importance of Soil Temperature in Determining the Early Growth Rate and Final Grain Yields of Maize in Western Kenya

Law, R.; Cooper, P. J. M.

doi:10.1080/00128325.1976.11662799

Cited by 12 publications

(8 citation statements)

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“…There were no significant differences in total dry-matter production, nor was any trend apparent. However, when the trial was harvested after black layer formation, grain yield differences consistent with those found in 1974 (Law & Cooper, 1976) and 1975 were again observed (see Table 5).…”

Section: Growth Studies and Grain Yield (1975)supporting

confidence: 67%

“…The results also show that when the crop experienced warmer soils for 2 or more weeks after emergence, a significant increase in grain weight occurred. This effect had not been noticed in previous mulching trials (Law & Cooper, 1976); nor was it observed in the 1976 trial reported here. In both the latter cases higher soil temperature had no effect on grain weight and this observation is more in keeping with the general finding that yield variations in the Highlands of Kenya are more associated with variations in number of grains per plant than in grain weight.…”

Section: Growth Studies and Grain Yield (1975)supporting

confidence: 48%

“…However, tropical maize varieties are thought to have base temperatures of around 10 C C, and considering the possible errors involved, the base temperatures obtained in equations (1) and (2) would support this. Previous work at Kitale (Law & Cooper, 1976) reported a base temperature for leaf emergence of 12-3 °C.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Enhanced soil temperature during very early growth and its association with maize development and yield in the Highlands of Kenya

Cooper

Law

1978

J. Agric. Sci.

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SummaryPrevious work has shown a strong relationship between the mean soil temperature during the first 5 weeks of growth of a maize crop, and the final grain yield, warmer soils leading to greater yields. Trials were laid down in 1975 and 1976 to establish how early in the development of a maize crop higher soil temperatures would lead to increased yields. Soil temperatures were raised by polythene mulching applied at planting with six times of mulch removal: at crop emergence, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 weeks after emergence. Raised soil temperature led to a greater rate of development and leaf area production during early growth. Greater leaf area was due to greater leaf emergence rate rather than increase in leaf size, since increase in soil temperature was associated with a decrease in individual leaf size. This trend was reversed from leaf number 15 onwards resulting in no differences in leaf area, leaf weight or total dry matter at tasselling. In spite of this, yield differences were observed. Increase in soil temperature during germination alone had a beneficial effect on final grain yield, and this effect increased with duration. Increasing soil temperature for longer than 3–4 weeks from emergence caused no further yield increase. Yields increased from 133 and 172 g/ plant to 220 and 238 g/plant in 1975 and 1976 respectively. Yield increases were associated with more grains per plant rather than greater grain size. The period during which increased soil temperature led to increased yields coincided with the period when the apical meristem was below ground level. The mechanism involved is not yet clear.

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Section: Growth Studies and Grain Yield (1975)supporting

confidence: 67%

Section: Growth Studies and Grain Yield (1975)supporting

confidence: 48%

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Enhanced soil temperature during very early growth and its association with maize development and yield in the Highlands of Kenya

Cooper

Law

1978

J. Agric. Sci.

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“…Furthermore (Law & Cooper, 1976) in a trial where the soil temperature was modified during the early growth stages by the use of polythene and hay mulches, it was shown that the leaf-emergence rate, and the leaf-area production rate were linearly related to soil temperature until apical meristem emergence above ground, but thereafter were more related to air temperatures. It was also noted that plants grown under polythene mulch initiated significantly more leaf primordia per plant than those grown under the hay mulch, resulting finally in 24-5 leaves compared with 21-5.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Soil temperature and its association with maize yield variations in the Highlands of Kenya

Cooper

Law

1977

J. Agric. Sci.

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In the Highlands of Kenya every 1-week delay in planting maize after the onset of the rains reduces the grain yield by approximately 0-6 t/ha. No satisfactory explanation has been found for this phenomenon. A physiological growth study was made on four dates of planting per year over 4 years. Early growth rates and maximum crop growth rates showed a progressive decline with delay in planting which resulted in smaller plants at 5 weeks post-emergence and at 50 % tassel emergence in maize planted later. There was a strong relationship between the size of plant at tasselling and the final grain yield and a highly significant relationship (r = 0-94) between the size of plant at 5 weeks post emergence and the final grain yield. Other environmental studies showed that soil temperature at 7-5 cm, coupled with a soil moisture stress factor, largely controlled the dry-matter production rate during early growth, and consideration of the mean value of these two variables over the first 5 weeks of growth accounted for 70 % of the variation of dry matter at 5 weeks post-emergence. It was further shown that 82 % of the variation in final grain yield caused by date of planting could be accounted for by consideration of the mean value of these two variables during the first 5 weeks of growth. account for the pronounced 'time of planting' effect in the Highlands of Western Kenya. He In the tropics it has been widely observed that concluded that low yields of maize planted late maize planted at the onset of the rains gives con-were largely due to a progressive deterioration in siderahly greater yields than later plantings soil physical conditions as the season advanced. (Hemingway, 1955;Goldson, 1963; Akehurst & Furthermore, in an artificial watering trial he Sreedharan, 1965;Allan, 1972). This has become found that increasing amounts of water applied known as the 'time of planting' effect.during the period from planting to 5 weeks postMany varied explanations have been put for-emergence caused corresponding reductions in ward to account for the 'time of planting' effect early growth, number of kernels initiated and final in East Africa. Hemingway (1955) suggested that grain yield. As a result of these experiments, and yields of maize planted late were less because young a study of rainfall distribution patterns, he maize plants were more severely attacked by fun-suggested that poor soil aeration was the most gal leaf diseases than maize planted early, whereas important soil physical factor causing yield reducBirch (1960) suggested that crops planted early tions in maize planted late. However, this hypoyielded more because they were able to take ad-thesis was not based on actual measurements of vantage of the flush of soil nitrogen mineralization soil aeration, and Cooper (1975) recently showed that occurs during the wetting and drying cycles that the aeration status of Kitale soils under at the onset of the rains. In certain areas with short young maize never limits growth, even if the rainy seasons, maize planted late will suffe...

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“…These results are in agreement with the results noted by Boonman (1993) for Chloris gayana in Kitale, Kenya, and Muyoya (1991) in the SHT. In Kitale, Boonman (1993) noted that the growth rate of Chloris gayana reached an early peak 4-6 weeks after the onset of the rains, and this could largely be due to high soil temperatures following the dry season (Law and Cooper 1976 1.00 0.10 SL * *** *** * *** *** *** SE = standard error of means, SL = significance level, *** = P < 0.001, ** = P < 0.01 abc means with different superscript within column are significantly different § the cumulative DMY is total yield of eight cuts for three weeks, four cuts for six weeks, three cuts for nine weeks and two cuts for 12 weeks (cutting frequencies) % CP = % crude protein SE = standard error of means, SL = significance level, *** = P < 0.001, ** = P < 0.01; * = P < 0.05, NS = not significant at P = 0.05 abc means with different superscript within column of the same season are significantly different Early wet season = January to March; late wet season = April to June Table 2: Mean fibre (NDF, ADF) content, digestibility (IVDMD) and energy concentration (ME) of Chloris gayana at different periods of regrowth in the early and late wet seasons. Abbreviations: NDF = neutral detergent fibre; ADF = acid detergent fibre; IVDMD -in vitro dry matter digestibility; IVOMD = in vitro organic matter digestibility; ME = matabolisable energy…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 98%

Effects of regrowth period, season and harvesting frequency on the yield and nutritive value ofChloris gayanain the southern highlands of Tanzania

Mtengeti¹,

Phiri³

et al. 2006

African Journal of Range & Forage Science

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Two experiments were conducted in the Makambako division of the southern highlands of Tanzania to investigate the effects of regrowth period, season and harvesting frequency on the yield and nutritive value of Chloris gayana. The first experiment was conducted in 2002 in a 4X2 factorial arrangement in a complete randomised block design with six replications. The treatments were period of regrowth (three, six, nine and 12 weeks) and season (early wet season January-March and late wet season April-June). The second experiment was conducted in 2003 in a complete randomised design with six replications. The treatments were four cutting frequencies (three, six, nine and 12 weeks). In Experiment 1, the dry matter yield (DMY) ranged from 1.09-7.99t ha -1 and from 0.97-3.53t ha -1 (P < 0.05), while the crude protein (CP) content ranged from 13.9-8.25% and 16.09-9.85% (P < 0.05) in the early and late wet seasons, respectively. In vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) and metabolisable energy (ME) declined faster with increasing periods of growth in the early than in the late wet season. ME ranged from 9.21-7.29MJ kg -1 DM (P < 0.05) and 8.02-7.87MJ kg -1 DM (P > 0.05) in the early and late wet seasons, respectively. For Experiment 2, the nine-and 12-week cutting frequencies did not differ (P > 0.05) in terms of cumulative DMY (19.07 versus 18.93t ha -1 ) but produced nearly twice as much as the three-and six-week cutting frequencies (10.18 and 8.32t ha -1 ). CP, IVDMD and ME decreased while neutral detergent fibre (NDF) increased with decreased cutting frequency. The results of the present study suggest that the optimal balance of dry matter yield and nutritive value of C. gayana at Makambako is reached at the ninth week of regrowth. Regardless of season, dairy farmers in this area who are feeding pure C. gayana must provide energy supplement to their dairy cows.

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The Effect and Importance of Soil Temperature in Determining the Early Growth Rate and Final Grain Yields of Maize in Western Kenya

Cited by 12 publications

References 2 publications

Enhanced soil temperature during very early growth and its association with maize development and yield in the Highlands of Kenya

Enhanced soil temperature during very early growth and its association with maize development and yield in the Highlands of Kenya

Soil temperature and its association with maize yield variations in the Highlands of Kenya

Effects of regrowth period, season and harvesting frequency on the yield and nutritive value ofChloris gayanain the southern highlands of Tanzania

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