Physiological studies of competition in Zea mays L: I. Vegetative growth and ear development in maize

Abstract

SUMMARY: Preliminary field studies were carried out to obtain an understanding of the progress of dry-matter accumulation in maize and its end-point at harvest. Dry-matter accumulation and its partition between morphological parts was affected, at various stages of growth, by competition. For maximum total yield per unit area of land, early and rapid development of leaf area was needed to exploit the relatively high net assimilation rate early in the season. This leaf area should persist as long as possibleto maximize leaf area duration. A high total plant yield, and high yield of the important ear component, by the individual plant, was obtained at a plant population of about 40000 per acre. The photosynthetic area of the ear made no significant contribution to cob weight.