Effects of Lodging at Different Growing Stages on Growing Characters and Grain Yield of Summer Maize

Jing Shuxiang; Zheng Yihong; Yuan Yongsheng; Huang Yingguang; Liang Fengling

doi:10.14083/j.issn.1001-4942.2018.02.012

Abstract：The objective of this study was to analyze the effects of simulated lodging on grain yield of summer maize,and further to evaluate the yield losses due to lodging at different growing stages.The summer maize hybrid Nonghua 101 was used as experimental material.The lodging was implemented by kicking down the maize plants artificially at four growing stages,and seven treatments were designed in field including no lodging (CK),lodging from root at bellmouthed stage (V12RL),lodging from root at tasseling stage (TRL),lodging from root on the 15th day after flowering (S+15RL),lodging from root and stem up ear on the 15th day after flowering (S+15RSL),lodging from root on the 30th day after flowering (S+30RL) and lodging from root and stem up ear on the 30th day after flowering (S+30RSL).The ear traits,yield and its components were measured,and the relative reduction percentage was calculated.The results showed that the plant height could be significantly decreased by V12RL compared with CK,but not be affected significantly at the other growing stages.TRL made the corncobs shorter with the longest barren tips,which was followed by lodging at bell-mouthed stage and after flowering in order.According to the analysis of yield components,lodging reduced maize yield mainly through decreasing kernel number per ear and 1000-grain weight.The kernel number per ear was the lowest under the TRL treatment and decreased by 12.31％ compared to CK.The 1 000-grain weight and yield were significantly affected by the treatments of S +15RL and S +15RSL,which decreased by 8.46％ and 14.55％,12.08％ and 18.52％ respectively compared to CK.