•  
  •  
 

Keywords

corn, tillers, plant density, yield, ear development

Abstract

Research in modern corn (Zea mays L.) hybrids investigating tiller contributions and ear development at low plant densities is scarce, particularly in water-limited environments. To fill this research gap, a second season of replicated experiments was conducted in 2020 at 7 sites across Kansas (Keats, Buhler, Greensburg, Garden City, Goodland, and two sites in Colby) evaluating two common, tiller-prone corn hybrids (P0805AM and P0657AM) at three target plant density levels (10000, 17000, and 24000 plants/a). Five of the listed sites also considered a tillering factor (tiller removal at development stage V10 [tenth-leaf] or tiller maintenance). Seasonal phenology, partitioned grain yield, harvested ear type characterizations, and environmental conditions were recorded and analyzed to quantify tiller contributions in each site. Results showed that intact tillers had either no effect or were able to boost yields. In the best environments, tillers were able to successfully compensate for losses of 60% in plant density. Five of the seven tested sites produced approximately 50% of total harvested ears as desirable tiller lateral ears in the 10000 plants/a target plant density. The highest percentage of undesirable tiller tassel ear development in the 10000 plants/a density was 13%. Future research will seek to find explanations of the ear type relationships on a deeper level and predict tiller yield contributions considering various environments and ear development outcomes.

COinS
 

Rights Statement

In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted.
 

To view the content in your browser, please download Adobe Reader or, alternately,
you may Download the file to your hard drive.

NOTE: The latest versions of Adobe Reader do not support viewing PDF files within Firefox on Mac OS and if you are using a modern (Intel) Mac, there is no official plugin for viewing PDF files within the browser window.